China’s Yellow River Loses Over 50 Species Of Fish Due To Pollution
Sadly China’s efforts to get pollution under control are too late to save more than 50 species of fish in the Yellow River. At over 5,000 km long this is no small river. Since the river is also referred to to as “the Mother River” by locals perhaps this report will incite an outrage at the improper uses of the river.
Here’s the link to the National Geographic article, but be forwarded - this is not a happy story.
There used to be more than 150 species of fish living in the Yellow River, but one-third have disappeared for good,” an unnamed Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) official told China’s People’s Daily newspaper.
The MOA official also reported that the Yellow River’s fish catch has declined by about 40 percent and emphasized a human role—such as disruptive dams and pollution—in the environmental catastrophe.
“Overfishing, persistent dumping, and hydropower projects along the river have degraded the underwater ecological environment,” he said.
The Chinese government estimates that 66 percent of the Yellow River’s water is so polluted that it is undrinkable (related photo: pollution turns Yellow River red [October 23, 2006]).
Jennifer Turner, head of the China Environment Forum at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., said that the river’s fouled waters mirror a nationwide problem that threatens wildlife as well as human health.
“The Yellow River is the Mother River,” Turner said, referring to the waterway’s role as the cradle of northern Chinese civilization.
“If the Mother River is sick, that’s a major indication of the whole problem of China’s inability to protect water resources.”
The national government considers some 70 percent of the country’s rivers and lakes to be seriously polluted.
- Posted in : Environment, In the News, Pictures, Science
- Author :Rt
Comments»
you need to have more info on huang ho.
It’s a big river. Were you looking for statistics or the cultural background? I fear I am useless on the latter. Good ‘ol Wikipedia has a little of both.
I am so anoyed at china they are the down side of the whole world they kill animals and pollute so much they should just die themselves. and also japan pollute so much and kill loads of animals why is it they do this so much? and they kill whales that are endangered it think we should make china and japan endangered people >:(
Why can’t they do something about the pollution going on? Okay, I know it is at the point where it is becoming more than uncntrollable but they could at least help!!!! I mean, there are such things as recycling and disposing reasonbly. It’s so bloody stupid!!! I feel for all the animals that are dead. It’s all There Fault!!!!
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