Page 133 - 《水产学报》2026年第01期

1 期 何仕文，等：禁捕初期长江重庆段四大家鱼保护区鱼类资源水声学评估 50 卷

Hydroacoustic evaluation of fish resources in
the Yangtze River's four major Chinese carps reserve (Chongqing Section) in
the early stage of fishing ban

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HE Shiwen , TIAN Huiwu , DENG Huatang , NI Dafu , XIE Wei , DUAN Xinbin ,
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SHAO Jian , ZHOU Junjie , ZHANG Hui , WANG Ke 1*
(1. National Agricultural Science Observing and Experimental Station of Chongqing,
Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Wuhan 430223, China;
2. Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Laboratory of
Fishery Resources and Environmental Protection, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China;
3. Fishery Administration and Security Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 200040, China)
Abstract: Against the backdrop of global climate change and intensive human activities, fish resources in the Yangtze River
Basin have continued to decline. To protect aquatic biodiversity and restore the ecosystem, a comprehensive fishing ban has
been gradually implemented since 2018 in 332 aquatic reserves across the Yangtze River Basin, including the National Ger-
mplasm Reserve for the "four major Chinese carps" in the Chongqing section. By the end of 2019, Chongqing had taken the
lead in completing the withdrawal of fishermen from its aquatic reserves, fully prohibiting productive fishing activities. This
study aimed to understand the changes in fish resources within the reserve following the fishing ban. From April to May (fish
spawning season) and December (fish overwintering season) of 2023, the research team conducted an 8-day hydroacoustic sur-
vey using an EK80 split-beam echosounder across an approximately 125 km river section of the reserve, along with a 52-day
catch survey. The hydroacoustic survey revealed that the average fish density during the spawning and overwintering periods
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was (19.44±29.04) and (5.07±3.93) ind./1 000 m , respectively, with no significant difference. However, the average target
strength differed significantly, measuring (−60.66±6.63) dB and (−57.60±6.44) dB, respectively. During the spawning season,
fish tended to aggregate near urban areas, whereas in the overwintering period, they were more dispersed in waters farther from
urban zones. In both surveys, the highest fish density was observed at depths of 6-9 m, and the target strength generally
increased with water depth. The catch survey identified 47 fish species (5 orders, 12 families) during the spawning season, with
Hemiculter leucisculus, Pseudobrama simoni, and Squalidus argentatus being the most abundant. In the overwintering period,
48 species (6 orders, 13 families) were recorded, dominated by Saurogobio dabryi, Megalobrama pellegrini, and Coilia brachy-
gnathus. Compared to pre-ban data (2017—2019), fish aggregation patterns in the reserve have shifted significantly. The
density in the southern Changshou river section was notably higher than before the ban, but the average fish size has
decreased. This study elucidates the post-ban distribution characteristics and changes in fish populations within the reserve,
providing valuable insights for research on the evolution of fishery resources and regional fisheries management following the
fishing ban.
Key words: early fishing ban; aquatic genetic resources reserve; hydroacoustics; fishery resources; Chongqing section of the
Yangtze River
Corresponding authors: ZHANG Hui. E-mail: zhanghui@yfi.ac.cn;
WANG Ke. E-mail: wangke@yfi.ac.cn
Funding projects: National Key R & D Program of China (2022YFC3202001); Central Public-interest Scientific Institution
Basal Research Fund, CAFS (2023TD09); National Natural Science Foundation of China - Ministry of Water Resources of the
People's Republic of China - China Three Gorges Corporation limited Yangtze River Water Science Research Joint Fund
Project (U2240214)

中国水产学会主办 sponsored by China Society of Fisheries https://www.china-fishery.cn
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