China loses 3 mln hectares of wetlands in past decade  

中国湿地10年减少面积接近一个海南省 保护亟待立法

(ECNS) -- In the past 10 years, wetlands in China have reduced by 3.34 million hectares, an area nearly the size of South China's Hainan province, the Economic Information Daily reported, citing the 2nd National Wetland Survey by the State Forestry Administration (SFA).

Human activity and overexploitation are the main reasons for the degradation, and conflicts between wetland protection and economic-social development are severe, according to the Wetland Conservation and Management Center of the SFA.

The survey shows that major factors resulting in wetlands degeneration are pollution, overfishing, overharvesting, invasion by nonlocal species, and construction.

Despite local regulations on wetland protection and management, punishment for destructive behavior is very limited due to a lack of nationwide wetland protection laws, says Ma Guangren, chief of the Wetland Conservation and Management Center.

Wetland exploitation in China, such as aquaculture, crop cultivation, industrial processing and ecological tourism are in most cases beyond the capacity of the environment, he says, adding that wetland degradation harms functions such as the preservation of biodiversity, water conservation and climate adjustment.

Experts say China needs nationwide laws and scientific principles to avoid overexploitation, and should raise wetland protection awareness in common people.