China to release over 20,000 rare fish fry in Lancang River

More than 20,000 fry of Bagarius yarrelli, an endangered giant fish species, are to be released in the lower reaches of the Lancang River in early September.

Researchers from the Institute of Hydroecology, jointly administered by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Chinese Academy of Science, have recently managed to breed a large amount of the fish.

The institute plans to release the fish fry into the reservoir area of the Nuozhadu hydroelectric station, the largest hydropower station in the Lancang River basin. The practice aims to enrich the fish resources of the river and boost the development of the local fishery industry.

It is also conducive to the country's requirement for replenishing the fish resources in the reservoir area after the construction of the hydropower station is completed.

The Lancang River, also known as the Mekong River in southeast Asia, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping. The lower reaches of the river are home to Bagarius yarrelli, a wild species under second-class national protection in China.

The Bagarius yarrelli used to be one of the major commercial fish species locally. It was listed "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. This rare fish is usually huge, weighing more than 50 kg.

IUCN has recorded a decreasing population trend of the wildlife over the years. In 2019, the Institute of Hydroecology in China announced its major breakthroughs in the artificial breeding of this fish species. Enditem