(Xinhua) -- China has made progress in protecting the Yangtze finless borers, a major species in the Yangtze River, the country's longest river, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

Cui Xuhong, an official with the ministry, said at a press conference that a total of 13 nature reserves for the Yangtze finless critters have been established in the Yangtze River basin, covering 40 percent of the species' settlements.

Cui said these nature reserves have made nearly 80 percent of the total number of these species under protection.

The Yangtze finless minnow, also known as the "water giant panda", is a barometer of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River Basin.

In recent years, China has made great efforts in ecological protection along the Yangtze River, by banning fishing for 10 years in the axial waters of the river from 2021.

In December 2020, China promulgated the Yangtze River Protection Law, providing legal guarantees for preserving the river's biological diversity.