In a monumental conservation effort, China has released over 800,000 endangered Dabry’s sturgeons into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The release, conducted on Wednesday by the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) in Yibin city, Sichuan Province, aims to rejuvenate the wild population of this critically endangered species.
The Dabry’s sturgeon, also known as the Yangtze sturgeon, holds first-class state protection status in China. Once abundant in the Yangtze River, its numbers have plummeted since the 1980s due to overfishing, habitat loss, and environmental changes. By 2000, the species had lost its natural breeding capabilities, prompting urgent conservation actions.
To address this decline, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched the Yangtze River Sturgeon Rescue Action Plan (2018-2035), focusing on habitat restoration, artificial breeding, and population reinforcement. Additionally, the enactment of the Yangtze River Protection Law on March 1, 2021—the nation’s first legislation dedicated to a specific river basin—has strengthened legal protections for the Dabry’s sturgeon and other endangered species.
“The mass release of artificially bred sturgeons is vital for supplementing the natural population,” explained Qu Huantao, a representative from the CTG’s rare fish breeding base. “We are committed to ongoing breeding and subsequent releases to promote the restoration of the species in the wild.”
The CTG’s efforts form part of a larger initiative to restore biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin. As of June 2023, the corporation has released over 24 million rare and endemic fish species into the river, reflecting China’s dedication to ecological preservation and sustainable development.
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China releases over 800,000 endangered sturgeons into Yangtze River
cgtn.com
