The Yangtze River Fishery Administrative Committee and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) signed a cooperation memorandum in Beijing last week on protecting fishery resources and endangered aquatic wildlife and their habitats in the Yangtze River and lakes along it.

The two sides expect the partnership to promote sustainable fishery, conservation of aquatic biodiversity and development of aquatic reserves in the Yangtze River Basin, build up an aquatic wildlife monitoring system, and strengthen ecological research.

The Yangtze Fishery Administrative Committee under the Ministry of Agriculture, is in charge of Yangtze aquatic wildlife management and the monitoring and evaluating of fishery resources. Based in the United States, TNC is an international non-governmental organization known for its rich experience in bio-diversity conservation.