The Yellow River saury, a fish species that has been absent from the Yellow River estuary for almost three decades, has made a comeback thanks to significant improvements in the water quality of the river. The Shandong Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment has reported that continuous efforts to inspect and rectify sewage outlets entering the river have resulted in the water quality of the main stream of the Yellow River in Shandong Province maintaining a stable Category II status for two consecutive years. Additionally, the total nitrogen concentration at the section where the Yellow River meets the sea has been lower than the inbound total nitrogen concentration for two consecutive years.
Ge Weiyan, a first-level inspector of the Shandong Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, revealed that the efforts to improve water quality have yielded positive results. The levels of PM2.5 in nine cities along the Yellow River in Shandong Province is expected to improve by 26.8% in 2022. There will also be a 15.1 percentage point increase in the proportion of good air quality days, and a decrease of 9.2 days of heavily polluted days. Moreover, the proportion of high-quality water bodies in the 87 state-controlled sections of the Yellow River Basin in Shandong has reached 86.2%—an 8.0 percentage point improvement compared to the previous year. Additionally, efforts are being made to clear the water bodies of Class V and below pollutants.
These positive developments are a result of Shandong’s implementation of the “three lines and one single” ecological environment zoning management and control system. The province has also made strides in optimizing the supervision platform for the ecological protection red line, investigating the ecological damage problems at the red line, and conducting a pollution status survey of historical mines in the Yellow River Basin. Additionally, Shandong has actively supervised nature reserves and taken measures to promote waste management practices throughout the region, including the implementation of the “Waste Cleanup Action” and the construction of “Waste-Free Cities.”
The reappearance of the Yellow River saury in the estuary is a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to improve the water ecological environment quality of the Yellow River basin. Shandong’s commitment to rectifying pollution sources and preserving the region’s natural resources has resulted in tangible improvements in water quality and air pollution levels. These achievements serve as a testament to the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable development, and will undoubtedly contribute to the overall well-being of the local ecosystem and communities in the long run.