BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM After decades of ecological decline, China’s Yangtze River, Asia’s longest and one of the most degraded waterways in the world, is showing hopeful signs of recovery. According to a new study published in Science, fish populations in the river have more than doubled in just two years following the country’s sweeping 10-year fishing ban introduced in 2021. The research, led by Fangyuan Xiong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlights not only a boost in fish biomass and diversity but also an encouraging rebound of several endangered species. Experts say the results demonstrate how large-scale, well-funded political decisions can successfully reverse damage to freshwater ecosystems. “It is really fantastic news. It is one of the first times that we can say that government measures have not just worked, but have really improved things,” said Sébastien Brosse, a biologist at the University of Toulouse and co-author of the study. A river under pressure Stretching nearly 4,000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea near Shanghai, the Yangtze is the world’s third-longest river and supports a population of over 400 million people. But it has also borne the brunt of China’s industrial rise and was hit hard by pollution, overfishing, dam construction, and habitat destruction. The most devastating sign of the river’s decline came in the early 2000s with the extinction of the baiji, a freshwater dolphin once revered in Chinese mythology. Caught in the chaos of pollution, dynamite fishing, and increasing river traffic, the species was declared functionally extinct by 2006. Years of calls from scientists for stricter protections went largely unanswered until 2021, when China’s central government enacted a full 10-year fishing ban across the Yangtze and many of its major tributaries. Game theory meets conservation The ban was strategically designed using a framework called evolutionary game theory, which takes into account how different stakeholders respond to incentives and penalties over time. The Chinese government aimed to balance ecological goals with social needs, especially for the fishing communities who had long relied on the river for their livelihoods. To support this transition, roughly 200,000 fishers were offered compensation and help finding alternative employment, part of a government investment of about $3 billion. At the same time, around 100,000 fishing boats were decommissioned. Early signs of success Researchers compared data from the two years before the ban (2019–2021) with the two years after (2021–2023). They found a twofold increase in fish biomass, a 13 percent rise in species diversity, and most notably, a strong recovery in some endangered species. One such species is the Yangtze finless porpoise, which had dwindled to around 400 individuals. Since the ban, the population is now estimated to have grown to 600. “The results reported in this study … provide hope that in an era of global biodiversity decline, ambitious political decisions that support large-scale restoration efforts can help reverse the ecosystem damages of the past,” said Xiong. Caution: recovery is still fragile Despite the promising data, researchers stress that the Yangtze’s recovery remains vulnerable. Illegal fishing continues, particularly in the Gan River, a major tributary. Enforcement efforts need to remain strong, especially at the local level, to prevent backsliding. Pollution is another ongoing challenge. The river continues to carry industrial runoff and waste from many of China’s largest factories. Meanwhile, species like the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon still struggle to reach key spawning areas due to large hydropower dams that block migration paths. “The Yangtze is still under pressure,” Brosse warned, noting that further action will be needed to sustain the gains. “But it provides a rare example of hope—and a roadmap—for how governments around the world can bring rivers back from the brink.” A model for global river restoration? The Yangtze’s revival could serve as a valuable case study for other major rivers facing similar threats, such as Southeast Asia’s Mekong. With climate change and overexploitation accelerating ecological degradation globally, researchers hope the Yangtze’s turnaround sparks momentum for more ambitious river conservation efforts. After decades of damage, China’s flagship river may finally be charting a course toward renewal. And while much work remains, the early results suggest that a combination of science, policy, and public investment can make a real difference, not just for the Yangtze, but for rivers everywhere.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post Yangtze River sees major ecological recovery after China’s fishing ban first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.