Mississippi-Yangtze Ecopartnership

On May 3rd 2012, the Great Rivers Partnership of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Yangtze River Basin Fisheries Resource Management Commission (YFC) signed Mississippi-Yangtze EcoPartnership under EcoPartnerships Framework pursuant to the Framework for the Ten Year Cooperation on Energy and Environment between the Governments of USA and PRC. The goal of the Mississippi-Yangtze EcoPartnership is to foster cross-basin and cross-culture sharing of lessons learned and best practices on the effective conservation of Yangtze and Mississippi, and to support integrated river basin management for the benefit of both nature and people.

The Great Rivers Partnership of TNC is a global effort to advance sustainable management of the world's great rivers for people and nature. The Great Rivers Partnership focuses on entire river systems and brings together the best available science and diverse stakeholders to develop and implement innovative solutions to issues threatening freshwater sustainability.

YFC as our EcoPartner is subordinated to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), and is a coordination agency for conservation of the aquatic biological resources of the Yangtze Basin. YFC is composed of fisheries governing departments, provincial fishery administration departments and related scientific institutes along the Yangtze.

Mississippi-Yangtze EcoPartnership between TNC and YFC will focus activities on experience sharing, technique exchange and demonstration projects. An action plan has been developed on six cooperation aspects, including fisheries monitoring, habitats conservation, sustainable fisheries policy, integrated river basin management, environmental flows and invasive species. On-site demonstrations are anticipated as well, specifically at the Upper, the Middle and Lower Yangtze, and also a joint effort on Asian Carps in the Mississippi Basin. Meanwhile a Joint EcoPartnership Team and Office have been established for effective implementation.

With the joint effort of EcoPartners such as the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Caterpillar, Inc., the Mississippi-Yangtze EcoPartnership will promote eight objectives: (1) Strengthened capacity building on science conservation and effective management on fisheries and habitats. (2) Strengthened network on fisheries monitoring. (3) Improved habitat protection by method sharing of ecosystems regional analysis and conservation action planning. (4) Operational environmental flows for Xiangjiaba Dam and Three Gorges Dam. (5) Promotion of policy on sustainable fishery. (6) Promotion of integrated river basin management. (7) Shared techniques on invasive species like Asian Carp along the Mississippi drawing on management practice of the Yangtze.  And (8) On-site demonstration for practice and learning.