XINING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Qinghai Province on Sunday initiated a five-year fishing ban in parts of the Qinghai section of the Yellow River and its tributaries.

The ban, which will be effective until July 31, 2026, covers the main stream of the Yellow River in Qinghai, two lakes and nine tributaries of the country's second-longest river, said the Qinghai provincial agriculture and rural affairs department.

Dubbed "the water tower of China," Qinghai is home to the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) area, where the three major rivers -- the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River -- originated.

Located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Qinghai is also home to many rare plateau species of aquatic wild animals that are endemic to China. Enditem