In an epic endeavor to revive the wild population of the endangered Dabry's sturgeon, China released more than 800,000 sturgeons into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River on Wednesday. This massive release was conducted by the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) in the city of Yibin, located in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The Dabry's sturgeon, also known as the Yangtze sturgeon, holds the status of a national treasure as it's under first-class state protection in China. Sadly, this ancient species—dating back millions of years—was classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2010. Its natural population has plummeted since the 1980s, and it hasn't been able to breed naturally since 2000. 😢
To combat this decline, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched the Yangtze River Sturgeon (Dabry's Sturgeon) Rescue Action Plan (2018-2035) in 2018. Further bolstering conservation efforts, China's Yangtze River Protection Law—the nation's first legislation dedicated to a specific river basin—came into effect on March 1, 2021. This law strengthens protections not just for the Dabry's sturgeon, but also for other rare and endangered species in the river.
\"The large-scale release of artificially bred sturgeons has boosted the natural population of the Dabry's sturgeon,\" said Qu Huantao, an expert at a CTG rare fish breeding base. \"CTG will continue breeding Dabry's sturgeon seedlings and conduct more releases to promote the restoration of the species' natural population.\"
As of June 2024, CTG has released over 24 million rare and endemic fish species into the Yangtze River basin! 🎉 This massive effort showcases China's commitment to preserving its natural heritage and brings hope for the future of the river's ecosystem.
With these ongoing conservation initiatives, the Dabry's sturgeon might just make a legendary comeback! 💪🐟
Reference(s):
China releases over 800,000 endangered sturgeons into Yangtze River
cgtn.com
