Fishermen benefit from environmental cleanup

For He Guangqiang, a 68-year-old fisherman in Anhui province, adequate electricity has not just been an indispensable part of life on the lakes, but also something that has embodied a decadeslong aspiration for a better life.

"In the old days, we used wind power to generate electricity on the boats and relied on batteries to store power, struggling to meet the need for lighting. We couldn't watch TV, not to mention the Spring Festival Gala," he said.

The Spring Festival Gala is the annual over-four-hour-long variety show that China Central Television has broadcast for decades on the eve of the traditional Chinese New Year, with a viewership of hundreds of millions of people.

The lake where He used to fish is part of a group of interconnected freshwater lakes located in Anqing city's Susong county.

The history of fishermen living there dates back to 1966. Starting in 1995, some people began to contract parts of the lakes for aquaculture.

However, poorly regulated aquaculture with the excessive use of fenced nets led to slower water flow and degradation of water quality.

Two top priorities — ecological preservation and improving fishermen's lives — were put on Susong county's agenda.

In 2017, the county authorities began removing and phasing out ill-designed fenced nets, and over 6,000 professional fishermen came ashore for relocation.

Many of them moved into a new apartment building area nearby called Fishermen's New Village. They took part in upgraded aquaculture businesses there, and the trajectories of their lives changed.

"Kerosene lamps were a must on the boats to deal with power shortages … Since coming ashore, we've had TV, air conditioners and internet access," He said.

The residential area is equipped with various public utilities, including a conference center, a senior care center and a basketball court. Across the road is a popular diner run by fishermen serving local dishes.

Liu Baoan, deputy director of the area's interim management committee, and who is also an experienced fisherman, said he witnessed the worsening water quality that caused the decline of fishing and fish breeding.

"When we were young, we could scoop up water from the lakes and drink. Years later, we had to take thermoses on board to drink safely," he said.

With the technical help of experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the upgraded, scientific aquaculture there has significantly increased the yield and varieties of aquatic products ranging from grass carp and fathead chubs to crayfish, and helped improve water quality, according to Liu.

"Now our products are mostly sold to cities afar such as Shanghai and Suzhou (in Jiangsu province) in East China. Northeast China is another major market because it is also short of fresh fish in winter," he said.

Chen Xiangping, Party secretary and deputy general manager of Susong County Power Supply Co of Chinese power giant State Grid, said the county government has offered a lot of funds to help fishermen develop their businesses.

"We have transformed the grid network here and have provided more power, which are things aquaculture utilities really needed," he said.

In December, Chen watched a video that went viral on social media featuring tens of thousands of white swans that landed in the wetlands and lakes in Susong to live out the chilly winter, happily flapping their wings as the setting sun reflected off the water surface.

"Only by helping the fishermen can we realize orderly development. If they have a good yield, they won't go back to their old ways that hurt the environment," Chen said.

Shen Xinrong and Li Qian contributed to this story.