The ban will be in place from the beginning of February to the end of April.

February to June is the peak season for fish breeding in the Yangtse River and the fishing ban aims to increase the fish population.

About 60 percent of China's fresh water fish is from the Yangtse River, however, excessive fishing has drastically reduced the fish population there.

The government has implemented fishing bans in some areas of the river in past years, but this is the first time the government has implemented the ban for the entire river basin.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2004)