Under a fishing ban, critically endangered finless porpoises spotted more often in Chinese lake

One year after a fishing ban was imposed in Poyang Lake in China’s eastern province of Jiangxi, the critically endangered finless porpoise has been spotted more frequently. China’s largest freshwater lake empties through a short outlet channel into the Yangtze River, where a 10-year fishing ban has also just been imposed for conservation areas. The ban, which started on January 1, 2021, is meant to protect porpoises which are threatened by overfishing and water pollution.