China will ban certain ships from entering the Three Gorges reservoir area from Oct. 1 to protect the dam's water resources.

The Ministry of Communications announced that the ban covers vessels with removable oars and those made of cement and wood.

The ban also aims to increase the effectiveness of the permanent ship lock and the traffic capacity of the Three Gorges, said the ministry.

Disqualified passenger boats, oil tankers and vessels carrying chemical materials, along with disqualified freight vessels and sight-seeing boats are also on the list.

Ships with a capacity below 100 tons will be forbidden from 2004, and ships of less than 200 tons from 2005.

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