15/06/2005– The long-awaited
opening of a dyke in Hubei Province’s Zhangdu
Lake took place today, following the efforts
of a WWF-HSBC freshwater initiative which
seeks to restore the ‘web of life’ along
the Yangzte River.
Disconnected from the Yangtze River in the
1950s, the opening of the lake’s dyke will
help the migratory flow of fish, allowing
them to breed upstream into the Yangtze
and for the young fish fry to return to
the lake where they can grow to maturity.
"The dyke flood gates were built to
prevent flooding and for irrigation, but
no one considered the impact on water quality,
fish migrating routes and flora and fauna,"
said Wang Limin, WWF-HSBC Yangtze’s programme
manager.
"The opening of the dyke signifies
the beginning of a whole new life for both
the lake’s ecosystem and the local communities
that depend on them."
In addition to opening the sluice gate,
the WWF -HSBC Yangtze’s programme simultaneously
introduced fish fry into the surrounding
area in an effort to regenerate fish populations.
Depleted by years of overfishing, as well
as the unnatural disruption between the
region’s lakes and the river, natural fisheries
production in the region has declined as
much as 75 per cent in the last thirty years.
As nearly one million local residents rely
on fishing for sustenance, the project is
addressing this issue by encouraging fish
population regeneration.
In addition to re-linking isolated lakes
and introducing fish fry, the WWF-HSBC Yangtze
programme is also helping to restore wetland
habitats for displaced migratory and endemic
birds and fish, such as the tundra swan
and the ice fish, as well as reduce water
pollution and establish key protected areas
for the region’s most endangered species.
Focusing on a 200 sq km area along the
Yangtze, Zhangdu Lake is the second lake
the project has re-linked. The Tian’e Zhou
Oxbow sluice gate was opened in 2004 and
was a significant act for the conservation
of one of the world’s most endangered mammals,
the Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena
phocaenoides). Declining water levels in
the lake – mostly a result of evaporation
– were given a boost with the regular opening
of the flood gates to increase the water
level and quality.
The project is also introducing sustainable
alternative livelihoods for local communities.
WWF has begun working with local families
to ensure that they have a way of earning
a living from new initiatives such eco-fisheries,
eco-tourism, and growth of acquatic vegetables.
The Yangtze River is the world’s third
longest, with its basin covering an area
three times larger than that of the UK.
More than 100 lakes once had natural links
with the river’s main waters. Such unsustainable
practices as land reclamation, dyke building,
and over populated urban settlements along
its waters have greatly disrupted the central
Yangtze’s once vibrant, complex network
of lakes.
END NOTES:
HSBC and its 'Investing in Nature Progamme:
Established in 1865 in Hong Kong and Shanghai,
the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
(HSCB) Limited has always been involved
in the welfare of the communities it serves.
In 2002, the HSBC Group established the
five-year "Investing in Nature Programme"
which suppors a range of conservation initiatives
around the world. The WWF-HSBC Yangtze Programme
is one of these initiatives.
