BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 60,000 artificially-bred Chinese sturgeon were released into the section of the Yangtze River in Jingzhou City in central China's Hubei Province, on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in restoring the species' wild populationbingofreebonus.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, this release brings the total number of Chinese sturgeon released in 2024 to over 1 million, setting a new record for annual releases of this rare fish speciesbingofreebonus.
Nicknamed "aquatic pandas," Chinese sturgeon have existed for over 140 million years. However, the natural population of the species in the Yangtze plummeted in the late 20th century due to intrusive human activities.
The fish is primarily protected through artificial breeding followed by release into the natural environment. In recent years, China has made significant conservation efforts, including expanding artificial breeding and release and fostering natural breeding of the species.
The ministry has pledged to cultivate and release 5 million Chinese sturgeon within three to five years to replenish the wild population of the species.
In 2021, China implemented a 10-year fishing ban in key waters of the Yangtze River, effectively increasing the populations of various aquatic species.■