BEIJING -- China will continue implementing a fishing ban on the Yellow River to better protect aquatic resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Wednesday.

The ministry has recently issued a circular expanding the ban to cover three additional primary tributaries, bringing the river's main stream and 13 major tributaries under the ban.

According to the circular, year-round fishing bans will apply in the river's source area and upstream key waters from Jan 1, 2026, to Dec 31, 2030. A seasonal moratorium will be enforced from April 1 to July 31 each year from the Ningxia section downstream to the river's estuary.

Except for limited quota-based fishing in designated waters and for specific species, all productive fishing activities will be prohibited during the ban periods and in restricted areas.

The ministry noted that the fishing ban, in place since 2018, has helped protect aquatic resources and promote high-quality development of the fishery sector.

However, the overall declining trend in fishery resources in the Yellow River basin has yet to be fundamentally curbed, making it necessary to continue the ban, the ministry said.

The ministry will work with nine provincial-level regions along the river to strengthen law enforcement and ensure effective protection of fishery resources.