International Journal of Aquaculture, 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 175-183 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ija 181 quality (such as the water quality of Poyang Lake is clear and visible every year). Therefore, habitat restoration and fish restoration have a positive feedback relationship, which jointly enhances the stability and resilience of aquatic ecosystems (Pfirrmann and Seitz, 2019). 6.3 Economic and social and cultural benefits The restoration of aquatic habitats and fish resources also brings significant economic and social benefits. Fish are not only an important source of protein for residents of many regions, but also the foundation of the fishery economy. According to statistics, at least 2.5 billion people around the world rely on fishing catches in water as their main source of food. Habitat restoration replenishes fishery resources, thereby increasing catches and fishermen’s income. For example, after the implementation of fishing ban in the Yangtze River Basin, the number of fishing catches in the lake area increased significantly, and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of fishermen were guaranteed. Healthy fishery resources can also drive the development of tourism and leisure fisheries and inject new vitality into the local economy (Gilby et al., 2019). Culturally, fish have socio-cultural value in many places, and restoring the diversity of fish species will help protect fishery cultural heritage and traditional production methods. In summary, by restoring aquatic habitats, a win-win situation between ecological and economic benefits can be achieved. 7 Future Outlook and Management Suggestions 7.1 Strengthen comprehensive river basin management In the future, we should strengthen the coordinated management of water resources management and ecological protection based on river basins. It is necessary to establish a cross-departmental and cross-regional collaborative mechanism to promote pollution prevention and ecological restoration from the source to the estuary to avoid secondary problems caused by one-sided governance. Ecological goals for stratified classification should be formulated, such as protecting free-flowing river sections and key wetlands, while taking into account the needs of agricultural water use and urban development. Strengthen hydrological and biological monitoring to provide data support for scientific assessment of ecological changes (Jia et al., 2023). International experience shows that protecting free-flowing rivers, restoring key habitats, and strictly controlling water quality are key measures to restore the diversity of freshwater fish. Therefore, China should also accelerate the improvement of the legal and regulatory system, promote the construction of water ecological civilization, and achieve coordination and unity between economic development and ecological protection. 7.2 Promote the application of scientific and technological innovation and ecological restoration technology Innovative technologies play an important role in water ecological protection and fish restoration. It is recommended to promote environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring technology and satellite remote sensing technology to improve the monitoring efficiency of aquatic biodiversity and habitat status, and provide a basis for the evaluation of restoration effect. At the same time, the research and development of ecological restoration methods should be strengthened, such as fish path optimization design, artificial wetland reconstruction, and in-situ pollutant removal. In the future, simulation research should be carried out to predict the impact of repair measures on hydrological conditions and fish, and to scientifically guide specific projects. Actively introduce natural-based solutions (NbS), such as ecological corridors and shore vegetation belt restoration, to better integrate engineering construction with ecological effects (Wang et al., 2019). Strengthening monitoring and early warning, resource management and restoration implementation through scientific and technological innovation will improve the effectiveness and sustainability of aquatic ecological protection. 7.3 Enhance international cooperation and public participation Aquatic habitat conservation and fish population recovery are global challenges that require international cooperation and public participation. Exchanges with neighboring countries in joint management of water resources and biodiversity protection should be strengthened, international experience should be learned from, and cross-border river and marine ecological governance capabilities should be improved. Increase publicity and education efforts, improve the public's awareness of the importance of water ecological protection, and guide
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