May 22 marks the 23rd International Day for Biological Diversity. The Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment held a press conference to introduce the achievements of the province in biodiversity protection and to interpret relevant documents. In recent years, the province has achieved positive results in biodiversity protection and established a system for protected areas with the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park as the mainstay, natural reserves as the base and various kinds of natural parks as the supplement. Many species of endangered wildlife have been placed under protection and restoration, and the quality and stability of the ecosystem have kept improving.

At present, there are more than 4,900 species of wild animals in the province, as well as 5 national practice and innovation bases for turning natural resources into economic gains, 9 national demonstration cities and counties for ecological conservation and 22 ecological counties at the provincial level, according to Cai Baofeng, deputy director of the Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment. The province is at the forefront of promoting ecological progress among the three northeastern provinces, he added. As one of the north provinces with the most species of animals and plants, the province has set up ecosystems for forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, swamps and farmland. For the past few years, it has made every effort to build itself into a strong province in ecology. To actively implement the decisions and plans of the provincial Party committee and the provincial government and to advance ecological protection and development, the Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment has issued the Strategic Action Plan of Jilin Province for Biodiversity Protection, the Plan of Jilin Province for Aquatic Biodiversity Protection in Songhua River and Liaohe River Basin, the 14th Five-Year Plan of Jilin Province for Natural Ecological Protection and the Guidelines on Further Strengthening Biodiversity Protection, so as to systematically push forward the process of biodiversity protection.