NANJING -- The population of fish species in Taihu Lake in East China's Jiangsu province has noticeably rebounded in recent times due to the continuous strengthening of ecological protection, the provincial department of ecology and environment said on Monday.

In 2023, 58 species of fish were seen in the lake, and the average number of fish species observed at 24 monitoring points reached 23, doubling the number of species observed at a single point in 2020, according to the provincial environmental monitoring center.

The level of aquatic biodiversity in the lake has consistently improved. According to preliminary statistics, more than 310 species of benthos, phytoplankton and zooplankton were observed in Taihu Lake in 2023, and the aquatic diversity index of the lake has continued to rise, increasing by about 0.5 from 2020 to nearly 2.9.

The species and population of wild birds observed in the lake have also increased. In 2022, 56 species of birds were recorded here. Among them, the newly discovered birds include the black-faced spoonbill, which is under national first-class protection in China, and several other species under national second-class protection.