Two articles on drying lakes and dying fisheries in China

[Summaries of two articles on drying lakes in China, a result of
drought, reservoir storage on the Yangtze, and sand excavation. Courtesy
of China Environment Brief, http://eng.greensos.cn/default.aspx]

No fish left in the "region of fish and rice"
China News Service
December 2, 2011

Poyang Lake, in eastern Jiangxi province, is China's largest freshwater
lake. Once a region teeming with fish and rice (鱼米之乡), Poyang Lake
is now running dry, posing a lasting challenge for both the fishermen
and migratory birds. According to the Fishery Management Bureau of
Poyang Lake, around 100 thousand fishermen are expected to suffer at
least a 60 percent drop in their incomes this year. Meanwhile, the
fishermen are asked to reserve some fish and shrimp for over a million
migratory birds which arrive here every October from north China.

Low water levels are expected as an ongoing trend in coming years. So
far the water surface of Poyang Lake has contracted from about 1,000km2
in September to current levels of around 536km2. Below average rainfall,
water storage by reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River
and excessive sand excavation are to blame for the problem. Local
officials and fishermen are appealing for government compensation and
preferential policies including job transfer (转产专业). Experts suggest
increasing fishery resources and hydrological monitoring stations.

[Source: China News Service:
http://www.chinanews.com/df/2011/12-02/3505078.shtml, Xinhua (English):
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-09/20/c_131150117.htm]

China to spend 18 billion yuan treating its second largest freshwater lake
Liaowang Newsweek magazine
December 5, 2012

The southern Hunan province will invest 18 billion yuan (US$ 2.8
billion) in improving the ecological environment of Dongting Lake, the
second largest freshwater lake in China. An important priority of the
Hunan provincial government, this project is expected to increase the
water surface by 1500 square kilometers and create a modern water
transport system by 2030.

During the first half of this year, the middle and lower reaches of the
Yangtze River witnessed one of the worst droughts in 50 years. The
Dongting and Poyang lakes entered low water season much earlier than
usual. Dubbed the "kidney of the Yangtze," Dongting Lake not only failed
to function effectively in times of flood and drought but also faced
potential ecological disasters caused by water shortage.

[Source: Liaowang Newsweek magazine:
http://env.people.com.cn/GB/16491714.html]

Compiled by Tong Jun and Angela Merriam
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