Yichang to release 200,000 Chinese sturgeons into Yangtze

By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio

On Saturday, 100,000 Chinese sturgeons were released into the Yangtze River in Yichang City of Hubei province.

A Chinese sturgeon is released into the Yangtze River in Yichang. Photo by Fu Beibei.

In total, some 200,000 Chinese sturgeons will be released into the river in three groups over the next few days. The fish, aged from six months to 14 years old, are second generation Chinese sturgeons - spawn of first-generation sturgeons.

Jiang Wei, chief engineer of the Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute attached to China Three Gorges Corp, said that the fish had been marked for tracking purposes.

Researchers have tagged the larger Chinese sturgeons that are close to sexual maturity, and will track them by satellite to evaluate their distribution in China's coastal waters. They will also analyze the environmental factors that affect their activity and their survival. The results will provide a scientific basis for protection measures.

According to Jiang, the proportion of sturgeons successfully entering the ocean has increased greatly over recent years. About 60 to 70 percent of the fish manage to make their way to the open sea.

This was the 68th release of Chinese sturgeons carried out by the China Three Gorges Group since 1984. More than 5.3 million Chinese sturgeons have been released.

The release of the fish has sparked public interest, with many people signing up to take part in the online and offline releases.

Zhang Zhiyu, a senior student at Yiling Middle School, was at the first release with her classmates.

"Clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver. This saying points to the importance of environmental protection. We are applying this concept when we release Chinese sturgeon," she said.

Wang Yuan, a teacher from the school, said: "Students from our school have been involved in 66 fish releases. It helps them develop environmental awareness."

A group of students from class 705 of Yichang Sixteenth Middle School also registered to take part in the release of Chinese sturgeon alongside their parents.

In total, nearly 1,000 volunteers were involved in Saturday's environmental awareness event.

Volunteers release Chinese sturgeon into the Yangtze in Yichang. Photo by Fu Beibei.

The Chinese sturgeon is a precious species - granted "first-class protection" status in China - that has existed for more than 140 million years.