• time;2024-01-09 12:43:30

In the Dongting Lake wetland and vast rice fields of Yueyang, Hunan, flocks of egrets reproduce and play, with batches of young egrets, night herons, and cattle backed herons hatching one after another; In the forest, the chirping of herons is clear and pleasant, and there are still many white feathers on the ground. The scene of young birds chirping and asking for food from their mother birds in the nest is very lively.

Yu Zhibing, a veteran who has been fighting on the front line of wetland protection work for nearly 20 years and the head of Caisang Lake Management Station of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve Management Bureau, deeply feels this: "Compared with a few years ago, the population of egrets has increased significantly now, and their shadows are often seen in urban areas. The egrets live comfortably and peacefully in the reserve, which is enough to show that our protection work has achieved significant results

Starting with 'planning' to legally safeguard wetland ecology

　　2018 年 4 月 25 日，习近平总书记来到东洞庭湖国家级自然保护区林阁老巡护监测点，通过实时监控视频了解东洞庭湖国家级自然保护区生态保护状况，留下“守护好一江碧水”的殷殷嘱托。

Photo by Yao Yi, a group of black bellied sandpipers overwintering in Dongting Lake

According to the deployment of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, Yueyang took swift action. After 5 years of rectification and restoration, 39 illegal docks along the banks of the Yangtze River and the Junshan waters of Dongting Lake were lawfully shut down and greened, covering an area of nearly 200000 square meters. The protected areas have also accelerated the work of functional zoning, legal protection, and regional control, and are fully committed to protecting wetland ecology in accordance with laws and regulations.

Accurate tuning and planning. In February 2019, it was approved by the State Council to remove areas with high human activities that do not have conservation value from nature reserves and adjust the activity areas of finless porpoises to core areas, achieving a win-win effect of ecological protection and economic development. At present, through integration and optimization, administrative townships, villages, densely populated residential areas, and basic farmland that do not have protection significance and have low protection value are being removed from the protected area.

Strengthen the guarantee of the rule of law. On March 1, 2019, the "Regulations on Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve in Yueyang City" was officially implemented, filling the gap of "one zone, one law" in Yueyang City's national nature reserve. The Joint Municipal Intermediate People's Court and Junshan District Court have established the "East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve Biodiversity Judicial Protection Base", set up environmental resources circuit courts, conducted circuit trials, and effectively and strictly protected the ecology of Dongting Lake. The crackdown has been severe, regulations have been established, and in the past five years, 31 cases of poisoning and protecting animals have been investigated and dealt with, 28 hunting guns have been confiscated, 22 cases have been transferred to judicial organs, and 16 people have been criminally punished.

Key areas of sperm management. Hunan Province has taken the lead in implementing closed management of the core areas of East Dongting Lake, including West Lake and trenches, which have a large population of migratory birds and rich biodiversity. Through scientific regulation of water levels, prohibition of personnel entry, and prohibition of fishing activities, effective protection has been strengthened.

It is reported that the closed management model of the West Lake has been listed as one of the top ten classic cases of wetland protection in the Yangtze River Basin by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Nowadays, through special actions and long-term science popularization, the illegal hunting, encroachment on wetlands, and hunting of wild animals have been thoroughly resolved, and the public's awareness of wetland and bird protection has been generally strengthened. A series of ecological paintings depicting the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature are slowly unfolding on the land of Baling.

Striving to win the "Three Major Campaigns" with full effort in "managing and protecting the pen"

Tong Zheng, Director of the Management Bureau of Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, said, "Building an ecological civilization is a millennium long plan for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. We must always adhere to treating Dongting Lake Reserve as the common ecological wealth of the people of Yueyang, live up to our expectations, work hard, and constantly polish the green ecological background." This is also the mission and consensus of the cadres and staff of the reserve. In recent years, the Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve has made every effort to win the "three major battles" and embarked on a unique path of ecological protection.

white fronted goose

Fight a tough battle to rectify prominent ecological and environmental issues. Comprehensively stop sand mining, implement fishing bans, dismantle illegal low enclosures, completely prohibit fertilizer and bait feeding for aquaculture in natural water areas, shut down and dismantle 128 illegal and irregular enterprises, more than 60 wastewater discharge aquaculture farms, more than 20 water catering establishments, and remove more than 1300 aquaculture cages. The 1001 prominent ecological issues identified through feedback from central environmental inspections, warning films on ecological and environmental issues in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the "Green Shield Action" have been fully rectified and cancelled.

Effectively protect and manage the 'battlefield'. According to the principle of "partitioning and assigning responsibilities to stations", an integrated patrol mechanism of front-line management stations and ecological patrol officers has been established. GPS trajectory assessment is strictly implemented for daily patrols to ensure that no blind spots or dead corners are left. The core area will implement closed management, establish three-dimensional monitoring methods such as unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring, key area video monitoring, water speedboat patrols, and personnel field patrols, and build a comprehensive "water, land, and air" three-dimensional patrol system to prevent the occurrence of ecological damage to wetlands.

Take the initiative to promote public education. Build a public participation platform for ecological protection. Since 2002, the Dongting Lake International Bird Watching Festival has been successfully held for twelve sessions, fully demonstrating the influence and appeal of the Dongting Lake Nature Reserve as an important international wetland. The "Great Beauty Dongting Bird Watching Destination" has become a resounding ecological declaration and shining ecological brand both domestically and internationally, providing Yueyang experience and Yueyang solutions for the hosting of global international bird watching festivals. Efforts will be made to tell the story of Dongting Lake and fully showcase the image of Yueyang Wetland City. Ecological education courses will be offered in primary and secondary schools along the lake, using the ecological textbook "My Home in 800 Miles Dongting Lake" as a carrier. We will seize the opportunities of "World Wetland Day", "Wildlife Day", "Bird Week" and other nodes, fully utilize the advantages of the "Three Treasures of Dongting Lake" resources of migratory birds, finless porpoises, and elk, popularize ecological protection knowledge to the public, and mobilize more people to actively participate in environmental protection actions.

　　与此同时，保护区还依托林阁老监测点建设了习近平生态文明思想教育实践基地，着力打造“守护好一江碧水”首倡地红色地标，用群众喜闻乐见的方式宣讲党的二十大精神等，使党的理论“声”入人心。据统计，近5年，平均每年保护区被中央、省市媒体报道达百余次，其中中央媒体报道超过 40%。

Sincerity leads to the opening of gold and stone. In the past five years, there have been more birds, greener shorelines, cleaner water quality, and more abundant opportunities in the Dongting Lake Nature Reserve.

Play a new chapter of ecological civilization with the theme of 'repairing the pen'

The gurgling water flows endlessly. Nowadays, the Junshan section of the Yangtze River's main stream has better water quality than Class II, and the long lost finless porpoises have returned, surfing and playing in groups in shallow areas.

The achievement of such results cannot be separated from the efforts of wetland restoration in the protected area over the years.

Adhering to the integrated protection and management of mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grasses, and sands, more than 300 hectares of damaged wetlands have been restored, 8 kilometers of coastline have been renovated, and 28 wetland beaches have been restored. Systematic management has brought significant changes to the ecological environment. Previously damaged wetlands have become wetlands with abundant aquatic plants and beautiful scenery, and the old Hualong Wharf has become a poetic "finless porpoise bay".

By carrying out high standard restoration of migratory bird habitats, returning to lakes, restoring submerged vegetation, connecting water systems, and ecological restoration of poplar cleared areas, nearly 400 hectares of poplar cleared areas have been artificially restored, more than 200 hectares of farmland have been returned to wetlands, over 130 hectares of submerged vegetation have been restored, and more than 1500 hectares of migratory bird habitats have been restored and reconstructed, as well as wetland restoration. This has effectively expanded the natural wetland area, and steadily restored wetland ecosystems and biodiversity.

Wetland restoration not only brings vitality to wildlife, but also benefits local residents greatly. By implementing the wetland ecological benefit compensation pilot project and supporting the county and district governments within the protected area to purchase insurance for crops damaged by wild animals, the contradiction between ecological protection and people's production and life has been effectively resolved. This provides replicable and promotable experience for the market-oriented operation of ecological benefit compensation and the construction of harmonious relationships between humans and animals.

It is worth mentioning that 6 management stations and 12 patrol monitoring points have been established in the Dongting Lake area, achieving integrated video surveillance of "sky, earth, and sky".

Good wetland restoration has significantly improved the local ecological environment, providing ideal habitats for migratory birds and various wildlife. According to data, in 2022, the Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve monitored 297000 overwintering waterbirds, 257 elk, 162 Yangtze finless porpoises, and rare bird species such as white cranes, Chinese mermaids, and blue headed ducks, which have changed from "rare guests" to "frequent visitors". In March 2023, new members were added to the wetland family in the protected area, and for the first time, white shouldered eagles, small grey mountain pepper birds, and red billed ducks were detected

The Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, as the first initiative to "protect the clear waters of the Yangtze River", will continue to promote ecological protection and restoration, strive to build a beautiful Dongting Lake where humans and nature coexist harmoniously, make a good ecological environment a universal welfare for people's livelihoods, and ensure the sustainable flow of the clear waters of the Yangtze River.

Article source: Reprinted from "National Land Greening" magazine