Chinese police have cracked 3,292 criminal cases related to illegal fishing, arresting 4,838 suspects amid a national crackdown on such practice along the Yangtze River.
Launched by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in June, the three-year campaign aims to combat illegal fishing along the country's longest river.
The crackdown has led to the seizure of more than 1,500 fishing boats, 23,000 units of fishing gear and 77,000 kg of catches, the MPS said Tuesday.
Under the supervision of the MPS, the first batch of 100 major cases related to illegal fishing has already been solved, while another 55 key cases listed by the MPS are currently under investigation.
The MPS has set up a tip-off center to handle public reports of such violations, making use of a telephone hotline, email and its official accounts on social-media platforms.
A fishing ban has been observed in 332 conservation areas along the Yangtze River from the beginning of this year, and a ten-year fishing ban will cover all the key waters of the country's longest river from Jan. 1, 2021.
