A River Running Eastward: Pure and Abundant

On a map， the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River twist and turn.  In one of the turns sits Jingzhou city. The river's "golden waterway"，483 kilometers long， runs through the city area， accounting for nearly half of the Yangtze River's total length within Hubei Province， where Jingzhou is situated.

The Jingzhou Branch of the Yangtze River Shipping Public Security Bureau （hereafter as the Jingzhou Branch） has been diligently upholding the environmental sustainability of water resources and ensuring the safety and well-being of residents in the surrounding areas. Additionally， the bureau has made significant contributions to the protection strategy of the Yangtze River and high-quality development along the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

A River Pure and Abundant

"Look！ River dolphins！" On November 13， 2022， a group of 30 Yangtze finless porpoises was spotted in the Shishou section of the Yangtze River. Witnesses saw the porpoises leaping high into the air and gracefully twirling in the clear river water， displaying remarkable vitality.

Long ago， this was a common sight for locals as they walked along the river. However， due to the rapid and rude economic development model of the past， the Jingzhou section of the Yangtze River became polluted， and the environmental situation deteriorated. The biological integrity index of the Yangtze River even reached the lowest possible level – there weren't even any fish. Since 2000， large-scale sand mining activities in the Yangtze River has become increasingly prevalent. Driven by substantial profits， a significant number of sand mining ships operated illegally， causing extensive damage to the riverbed and resulting in numerous potholes. The water quality of the Yangtze River worsened and the entire water area became contaminated， with turbidity becoming a serious problem. The nearby ecology suffered significant damage， leading to a sharp decline in fish numbers. It became evident that fishing and sand mining needed to be prohibited to allow the river's ecosystem to recover. On January 1， 2020， key areas of the Yangtze River Basin officially came under a "ten-year fishing ban". On March 1， 2021， China implemented its first river basin protection law， the Yangtze River Protection Law.

The comprehensive protection strategy for the Yangtze River is pivotal in reversing the decline of its ecological environment. Since its implementation， the Jingzhou Branch of the Yangtze River Shipping Public Security Bureau has taken a practical approach tailored to the particular conditions within its jurisdiction. They have effectively utilized the functions of law enforcement agencies to rigorously combat illegal and criminal activities that impact the environment along the Yangtze River.

In June 2019， during the bureau's "River Cleaning Operation"，officers from the Jingzhou Branch encountered a ship loaded with over 3，200 tons of sand of unclear origin. There was something very suspicious. The officers immediately launched an investigation， going to great lengths to visit multiple municipalities provinces for evidence， including Shanghai， Jiangsu， Anhui， Hubei， Hunan， and Chongqing. Ultimately， they unveiled an underground industrial network involved in illegal mining， transportation， and sale of river sand. A total of 66 individuals were arrested， 30 of whom were prosecuted and penalized as criminal suspects. Additionally， 25 ships connected to the case were placed under police investigation. The total volume of river sand involved in the case exceeded 100，000 tons， with a monetary value exceeding 10 million yuan.

In December 2020， the Jingzhou Branch received information about an illegal fishing operation along the Jingzhou section of the Yangtze River. Through careful organization and comprehensive efforts， they successfully built a case against a suspect surnamed Zhang and others for illegal fishing. The criminal gang was swiftly dismantled， resulting in the arrest of 14 suspects， while 17 restaurants faced administrative penalties， and two locations used for the illegal sale and transportation of river fish were cleared. Furthermore， one speedboat and two fishing tankers were confiscated， with officers seizing over half a ton of aquatic products worth more than 820，000 yuan. Thanks to the continuous and rigorous crackdown on significant river-related crimes， campaigns such as the Yangtze River Fishing Ban and other special initiatives targeting illegal sand mining have yielded positive results.

To safeguard the healthy development of the Yangtze River water ecosystem， it is essential not only to crack down on illegal activities along the river but also to restore and rehabilitate the damaged ecosystem. In June 2018， in the National Dolphin Reservation on Swan Island， Hubei Province， eight individuals illegally fished using electric fishing equipment. They even recorded their activities on their mobile phones and shared the footage on messaging app WeChat， resulting in a highly negative social impact. When the case was resolved， with the mediation of the Jingzhou Branch， the suspects agreed to purchase 300，000 silver carp and 340，000 bighead carp at their own expense， totaling 19，200 yuan. These funds were allocated to support efforts in ecological restoration. Under the supervision of the Public Security Bureau， the Procuratorate， the court， and the Reservation staff， the offenders were directed to replenish the lost population through artificial hatching and release methods.