A Total of 230,000 Chinese Sturgeon Released Into Yangtze River In Yichang, Hubei

Recently, a total of 230,000 Chinese sturgeons were released into the Yangtze River at the releasing spot for rare fish of Yangtze River at Yanzhi Garden, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China.

Chinese sturgeon is released. [Photo by Chen Chen]

The second filial generation of Chinese sturgeon cultivated by the Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute of Three Gorges Cooperation is released to the Yangtze River. [Photo by Hu Liguo]

The Chinese sturgeon released this time is the second filial generation of Chinese sturgeon bred and cultivated by the Three Gorges Cooperation since 2009. The youngest of them is half a year old while the oldest is 13 years old. The number of released Chinese sturgeon has increased significantly compared with previous years.

"This activity will help promote the recovery of the natural population of Chinese sturgeon and protect the aquatic biodiversity of the Yangtze River," said Lei Mingshan, chairman of China Three Gorges Corporation.

Chinese sturgeon is one of the oldest vertebrates on the earth, with a history of 140 million years. It is the flagship species of rare fish protection in the Yangtze River. It is known as the "giant panda in water" and "living fossil" which is important for scientific research and ecology.

The activity of releasing Chinese sturgeon in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River in 2022 will be held several times throughout the year with a total of 250,000 Chinese sturgeon planned to be released. About 10,000 were released on March 26, about 230,000 were released on April 9, and about 10,000 will be released on June 6.