A regulation went into effect Saturday in east China's Jiangxi Province for the protection of the wetland in and around Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake.

The regulation provided a legal basis for the province to protect wetlands, dubbed the "kidneys of the earth", said Yan Jinliang, director of the provincial forestry administration.

"It will hopefully be a reference for the entire country in wetland protection," he said.

The regulation includes clauses on an annual spring fishing ban on the lake and protection of wintering birds. It also bans grassland destruction, wildlife poaching, and sand and stone digging around the wetland.

"Most of the clauses were proposed by the local residents and have been included in the regulation after they were proven effective," said Yan.

The regulation, formulated in November 2003, requires the Jiangxi Provincial People's Government to set up coordination departments to organize and supervise relevant departments and raise funds to utilize and protect the wetland around Poyang Lake.

Jiangxi is the second province to regulate wetland protection following the northernmost Heilongjiang Province in August 2003.

The wetland ecological system is one of the three main ecological systems on the planet, along with forests and oceans.

According to figures released by the United Nations Environment Program, one hectare of wetland can create an annual production value of 14,000 US dollars, much greater than tropical forests or cropland.

However, in the past half century, wetlands around the globe have been deteriorating owing to farm enclosure and grave environmental pollution.

Covering an area of 5,000 sq km in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China's longest river, the Poyang Lake wetland is listed as one of the most crucial wetlands in the world.

Each winter, the lake receives more than 300,000 migrant birds in 116 varieties, including 3,900 Siberian white cranes -- 95 percent of the world's total -- and other rare species such as hooded cranes and white-naped cranes.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2004)