This photo taken on Jan 5, 2025 shows a Yangtze finless porpoise swimming near the lower reaches of the Gezhouba Dam in Yichang city, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/Xinhua]

The population of the Yangtze finless porpoise has risen to 1,426 in 2025, an increase of 177 compared with the 2022 survey, marking a steady improvement in the ecological health of the Yangtze River, a senior official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Friday.

Vice Minister Zhang Zhili stated that biodiversity in the Yangtze River continues to improve and is gradually regaining ecological vitality since the launch of the 10-year fishing ban on the river in 2021.

The Yangtze finless porpoise, a flagship species and currently the only freshwater porpoise species in the Yangtze River, serves as an indicator of the river basin’s ecological health, Zhang said at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

Meanwhile, Zhang noted that the scale of Chinese sturgeon releases has exceeded 1 million individuals for two consecutive years, and a natural spawning trial of the Yangtze sturgeon has been successfully completed, marking a critical step forward in rebuilding wild populations.

From 2021 to 2025, a total of 351 fish species were recorded in the Yangtze River basin, an increase of 43 species compared with the period before the fishing ban. The trend toward smaller-sized fish has been effectively curbed, and the aquatic biological integrity index has improved significantly.

At the same time, measures have been effectively implemented to enable former fishermen affected by the fishing ban to achieve stable living and employment conditions, Zhang said.

A total of 231,000 former fishermen have been registered through a categorized support system. All those eligible have been fully covered by pension insurance, while the vast majority of those with the ability and willingness to work have successfully transitioned to new industries or jobs, he added.