East China's Jiangxi Province will start a three-month fishing ban Monday on the Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake.

The ban aims to protect the ecological environment of the Poyang Lake and to ensure the sustainable development of the local fishing industry, the provincial fishing affairs administration said in a press release Saturday.

The fishing ban, which will last from March 20 to June 20, is the fifth one imposed on the entire Poyang Lake since the spring of 2002.

The ban has proven effective in increasing fish stocks in the lake by protecting them from being fished during the spawning period in spring. Many fishermen report sharp income rises after fishing resumes in summer.

Between 1986 and 2002, there was a yearly fishing ban over parts of the 330,000-hectare Poyang Lake, which had suffered from over-fishing and pollution. Thanks to continued environmental protection efforts, it is now home to a wealth of aquatic species and migratory birds.

Meanwhile, a fishing ban will be imposed on the 152-km Jiangxi section of the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway, from April1 to June 30, according to the provincial fishing affairs administration.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2006)