Vice minister of ecology and environment ZHAI Qing visits IHB on July 16. (Image by IHB)

Vice minister of ecology and environment ZHAI Qing visited Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of Chinese Academy of Sciences on July 16 to discuss with the institute on the conservation of Chishui River Basin.

Zhai fully affirmed IHB’s contribution to the protection of freshwater ecology in China.

"With the accumulated experiences, IHB can play a more active role in the 14th Five-Year Plan of environmental protection launched by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment,” Zhai said.

IHB has been engaged in protecting rivers such as the Chishui River, improving water environment of the Lake Erhai and Lake Taihu, and controlling environmental factors in aquaculture for decades.

"We hope IHB can provide more intelligent and technological support for these areas”, Zhai added.

Meeting with Zhai, IHB Prof. CAO Wenxuan, a member of the CAS, stressed the vital role of the Chishui River in protecting the ecosystem of the Yangtze.

"The self-purification ability in the Chishui River serves as a typical case for the management of the rivers, and is worthy of further study,” Cao said.

He also showed his concern for the impact of the hydroelectric development on the tributaries of the Chishui River and that of the point source pollution on the River basin.

The construction of the Chishui Field Station will provide theoretic and technological support for the long-term monitoring of the Chishui River ecosystem, the planning for the protection of the River, and the restoration of fish community, according to Cao.

The Chishui Field Station is built for the conservation of the rare and endemic fishes of the Upper Yangtze River, and the monitoring of the ecosystem. When it is put into operation, the station will play its role in the protection of the Yangtze and facilitate the construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

 
Meeting with Zhai, IHB Prof. CAO Wenxuan, a member of the CAS, stresses the vital role of the Chishui River in protecting the ecosystem of the Yangtze. (Image by IHB)

 
Vice minister of ecology and environment ZHAI Qing visits the Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems. (Image by IHB) 

 
Vice minister of ecology and environment ZHAI Qing visits the Baiji Dolphinarium. (Image by IHB) 

 
Vice minister of ecology and environment ZHAI Qing inspects IHB's demonstration site of ecological restoration of the East Lake. 

 
Vice minister of ecology and environment ZHAI Qing visits the National Aquatic Biological Resource Center. (Image by IHB)