From fishermen to protectors: Yangtze 'finless porpoise guards' patrol China's longest river

(ECNS) -- At daybreak, a patrol boat glides across the waters where the Yangtze River meets Poyang Lake in Hukou County, Jiangxi Province.

At the helm is 59-year-old Shu Yin'an, leading a team tasked with protecting the Yangtze finless porpoise — an endangered species often called the "giant panda of the water."

Shu comes from a family of fishermen who had lived along the river for generations. For most of his life, casting nets and hauling in catches were his daily routine.

That changed in 2017, when Hukou County established China's first finless porpoise patrol team to help protect the Yangtze ecosystem. Shu was among the first former fishermen to trade his nets for a patrol uniform.

Today, the team has 13 members, most of whom share similar backgrounds as former fishermen. They now patrol the river with deep devotion to the waters they grew up on.

"In the past, we had to search for porpoises all day and sometimes came back empty-handed," Shu said. "Now, every time we go out, we see them jumping and playing on the surface."

The transformation from rare sightings to daily encounters reflects the broader recovery of the Yangtze ecosystem. Shu recalled that a decade ago, overfishing was widespread and the finless porpoise population had declined sharply. The Yangtze fishing ban, together with growing public awareness of environmental protection, has helped reverse that trend.

"Now there are more fish in the river, more porpoises, and our conservation work has become smoother," Shu said with relief.

Hukou County has 24 kilometers of Yangtze River front and 30 kilometers along Poyang Lake — a key habitat for the porpoise. The patrol team has set up three patrol points along the 54-kilometer shoreline, with each vessel covering 40 kilometers per day.

During the current flood season, rising water levels have created many hidden inlets that are rich in aquatic plants and fish — ideal feeding grounds for porpoises, but also potential spots for illegal fishing.

"The more challenging the conditions, the more vigilant we must be," Shu said. "We have to protect the porpoises at all costs."

Year after year, Shu and his teammates continue their daily patrols, guarding not just the finless porpoise but the health of the Yangtze itself.

(By Tang Yuxian)