16 Comments
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Julian Olden's avatar

Thanks Jono.

Indeed, it is good to celebrate good news like this. We are cautiously optimistic, but far from claiming victory, obviously! Time will tell whether the short-term rebound in fish communities we revealed in our study is indicative of a long-term ecological recovery of the Yangtze River.

If the fishing ban is ultimately terminated in 2031, I hope it is guided by sustainable fisheries practices that do not erase the benefits to freshwater biodiversity that have already been realized.

I also hope that our study underscores the value of ambitious ecosystem management for large rivers and may promote similar initiatives worldwide.

Jonathan Tonkin's avatar

Indeed, Julian! Yes, this is not a done deal yet. Hopefully I didn’t brush over that too much. It’s cool to see positive news like this on such a scale.

Julian Olden's avatar

Oh, absolutely not! Great coverage!

Sally Morgan's avatar

Such positive news - let's hope it continues

Jonathan Tonkin's avatar

Indeed, Sally! This is such a good example of the gains to be made even when faced with such a wicked problem like this.

The Blue Marble's avatar

It's great to see their efforts worked! Hopefully, they can keep this momentum and replicate it for other areas of conservation and restoration.

Jonathan Tonkin's avatar

Absolutely! Early days still but it definitely shows ambitious action pays off — fast!

Amanda Royal's avatar

Awesome!

Kim Strongman's avatar

This was very interesting and nice to read about something positive happening in the Yangtze River. We need more of these good news stories. I also loved the "Bending the Curve is Possible" artwork. Art and science go together so well!

Jonathan Tonkin's avatar

Thanks Kim! I think so too :)

Elizabeth Van Alstine's avatar

beautifully said thanks for sharing

Jonathan Tonkin's avatar

Thanks Elizabeth.

Dawn Smith's avatar

Excellent news. Let's hope the next phase is taken carefully, based on sound science and long-term monitoring.

Stephanie C. Bell's avatar

What an inspiring post! We can bend the curve and this is a wonderful example...

Jonathan Tonkin's avatar

Thanks Stephanie!