The fishermen of Tongzhou district are charting a new course in life in the wake of the Yangtze River fishing ban. These men are now working as patrolmen on the river. [Photo/WeChat account: wxtzfb]

The Tongzhou district of Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province has reportedly issued a raft of measures to help fishing communities find new jobs, in the wake of the implementation of a 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River.

The efforts to protect the so-called "mother river" of the Chinese nation have been stepped up in recent years, in a bid to restore the ecology of the mighty waterway which had deteriorated because of overfishing.

Tongzhou district has 10.8 kilometers of the Yangtze River shoreline and also administers nearby Jiangxinzhou Island, which has 13.1 km of shoreline belonging to the core area of the fishing ban.

There are an estimated 160 fishermen affected in the district, 125 of whom are aged over 50.

To help them better adapt to a new life on land, Tongzhou drafted a special action plan to protect their social security and also brought forward solutions for their resettlement and reemployment. Measures included offering them public service jobs, providing vocational training and recommending them to local companies.

Last April, Shi Hongwei changed his vocation from being a fisherman to a patrolman and started shouldering the responsibilities of assisting the fishery department in conducting inspections and rescue work. The position is particularly suitable because it relies on familiarity with water conditions and related knowledge. Shi's monthly salary is 3,600 yuan ($550) and he can remain in the job for 10 years.

According to Wang Yuhui, director of Tongzhou district's labor and employment management center, the district has organized four training courses to teach old-age care, Chinese pastry and other skills to the fishermen, with 20 participants obtaining corresponding certificates and given subsidies.

So far, except for 59 fishermen who withdrew from the labor market, the remaining 101 have all been employed or become self-employed, according to Wang.