Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Du Jianhui) news: Now, it is the golden season for autumn fishing at Bosten Lake in Bohu County, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, and also the busiest time for fishermen. On September 5, 2024, as the sky just started to brighten in the early morning, Xu Qingshui, a fisherman from Xinjiang Bosten Lake Ecological Fisheries Co., Ltd., drove his fishing boat spiritedly towards the heart of the lake, where there used to be abundant fish catches.

Photo taken on September 5, 2024 shows fishermen catch fish in Bosten Lake in Bohu County, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Da Lai)

Upon reaching the fishing area at the heart of the lake, various waterbirds circled above the vast expanse of water. As one looks around, fishermen are busily casting nets, hauling them in, and sorting and loading fish, presenting a scene full of vitality and prosperity.

"Come on, let’s pull hard." Xu and his companions worked together to pull up the fishing nets that had been set in the lake the day before, pouring the fish from the nets into the boat's hold, causing a splashing and a flurry of activity among the fish. "These two nets have caught over 200 kilograms of fish, and there are still a few more nets to collect; today's harvest is very good," Xu said happily.

After more than three hours of work on the lake, the boat's hold was filled to the brim with plump and delicious fish. The fishing boat, laden with the joy of a bountiful harvest, slowly made its way back to the dock. At this time, the dealers had already driven their vehicles close to the shore, eagerly waiting for the fishing boat to dock.

"Then we unload the fish, weigh them, and load after sale." The fishermen and dealers worked in perfect harmony. Those lively fish were quickly loaded onto the dealers' trucks, speeding off to various markets, bringing the delicious gifts of Bosten Lake to people everywhere.

Lin Nan is a seafood vendor at an agricultural market in Bohu County. He arrived at the dock at 8 a.m., parked his vehicle, opened the water tank lid, and waited for the fishing boats to dock. "I can sell about four to five hundred kilograms of fish every day, most of which are directly sold to farmhouses. We have a lot of tourists coming here, and they all want to taste the fish from Bosten Lake," Lin said proudly.

Yin Jianli, the dock manager at Xinjiang Bosten Lake Ecological Fisheries Co., Ltd., told the reporter that today five fishing households went into the lake to fish and caught more than three tons of fish, which were snapped up by dealers as soon as they were brought ashore.

Bosten Lake is the largest inland freshwater lake in China, with 32 species of fish such as grass carp, silver carp, bighead carp, and crucian carp, reaching an annual output of about 4,000 tons, making it the largest fishery production base in Xinjiang. In recent years, Bohu County has implemented fishing bans, carried out artificial propagation and release, and promoted ecological fishing models, effectively protecting the fishery resources of Bosten Lake.

Wang Ying, an official at the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Bureau in Bohu County, said, "Bosten Lake has a fishing ban from March 1 to June 20 every year, during which all fishing activities are strictly prohibited. At the same time, Bohu County annually releases no less than six million fish fry into the lake. These measures have effectively increased the population of fish species in Bosten Lake."

In the process of developing the fishing industry, Bohu County is committed to achieving an organic integration of economic, social, and ecological benefits. The county has deeply explored and fully utilized its rich tourism resources, vigorously promoting the integration of fish culture, water culture, sand culture, reed culture, and Donggui culture with tourism resources. It has successively launched a variety of leisure fishing projects, such as fisherman's life experience, fish culture display, characteristic fishing villages, and fishing competitions. These activities have allowed people from all ethnic groups, including herdsmen and farmers, to make a living on the resources and earn money from tourism.

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