Fishing ban is just a slogan

According to a Yueyang County order, fishing has been banned on east Dongting Lake from March 10 to June 30 this year.

Indeed, no boats have been seen coming and going on the waters. The vast lake has remained calm. However, its surface is free of dangers to Yangtze Finless Porpoises.

A large number of bamboo poles are scattered over the lake, three or four meters above the water. Some stand in a line, while others are in a circle for large areas of closed waters.

"These are the 'mazes'," said fisherman He Daming, while directing the other fisherman to drive the boat among those bamboo poles. "These 'mazes' belong to different fishermen."

When the boat stopped before a line of bamboo poles, He and several other fishermen bent down and dragged out a fine-meshed fishing net, where he found countless fish and shrimp trapped.

Tied to the bamboo poles are not only ordinary fishing nets, but also long ropes with sharp hooks. "They are one of the most terrible killers," He said. Once they hit these hooks, finless porpoises will be unable to move and will likely suffocate to death.

This way of fishing requires a large investment, and it has been proven very effective. Such a "maze" of nets usually needs hundreds of thousands of yuan. But it will catch thousands of pounds of fish per night.

For those fishermen who have no funds enough for enclosure on the lake, they will take the risk of violating the law and depend on electrofishing. Aquatic animals cannot escape death if this equipment is used.

"There is a fishing ban every year, but it's never really been implemented." He Daming said.

According to He, more than 120 species of fish lived in Dongting Lake 30 years ago; however, no more than 10 commonly seen here now.

"Nowadays, species are facing severe extinction in Dongting Lake. We cannot allow those finless porpoises to starve to death," He said.

(China.org.cn by Wang Wei, June 25, 2012)

竭泽而渔禁令形同虚设

今年3月10日至6月30日是岳阳规定的东洞庭湖春季禁渔期。

确实，洞庭湖水域已经没有了船只穿梭来往的景象，浩渺的湖面顿时回归沉静，但是江豚并没有逃脱种种生命威胁。

洞庭湖里，露出水面三四米长的竹竿星罗密布，有的一字排开，有的绕着数百亩的水面围成一个个封闭的水域。

“这就是‘迷魂阵’。”渔民何大明一边指挥着另一位开船的渔民在竹竿间左右闪躲，一边介绍道，“这些‘迷魂阵’分属不同的渔民所有。”

船在一列竹竿前停下，何大明和同船的其他几个渔民探下腰，一起顺着竹竿捞起来一张网眼细密的渔网，无以数计的鱼虾立时活蹦乱跳。

绑在“迷魂阵”之间的除了普通渔网，还有很多长绳拴着的锋利挂钩。“这是江豚最大的杀手之一。”何大明说，江豚一旦撞上挂钩就无法动弹，最终会窒息而死。

这样的打鱼方法投资不菲，但效率非常高。一个“迷魂阵”投资往往都在数十万元，但一夜就能打到上万斤鱼。

没有资本获得圈湖资格的渔民就冒着违法风险选择“电打鱼”的办法，设备所到之处水生动物几乎一网打尽、无一幸免。

“年年禁渔，就没有一年真正禁住过。”何大明一脸悲愤。

据他介绍，在30多年前，洞庭湖有鱼类120多种，如今常见的只有10多种了。

“现在是洞庭湖物种大灭绝时代。”何大明慨叹，“我们不能让江豚饿死。”