SAVING FISHES IN CHINA

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http://english.people.com.cn/200601/23/eng20060123_237511.html

Guangzhou to build fish protection centres

UPDATED: 08:22, January 23, 2006

 

 

GUANGZHOU: The capital of South China's Guangdong Province is to build

three freshwater wildlife protection centres, a Guangzhou rescue

centre said.

 

The programme, which aims to preserve endangered species by moving

them to the centres, is to be completed within four years, said Liang

Jianhong, director of the Guangzhou Freshwater Wildlife Species Rescue

Centre.

 

Setting up the centres is part of a wider campaign in Guangdong to

protect the province's aquatic life.

 

According to Liang, the three protection centres will be located in

the city's Zengcheng, Huadu and Conghua districts.

 

They will mainly protect species receiving top-level protection, such

as the Chinese sturgeon.

 

The Chinese sturgeon, known as a living fossil as it is one of the

oldest vertebrates in the world, has existed for more than 200 million

years.

 

" But it has become one of the most endangered fish species because of

environmental degradation, " said Liang.

 

To prevent this rare species from becoming extinct, Guangdong's marine

and fisheries departments started to breed sturgeon in 1998.

 

In a large plant for raising sturgeon in Foshan, Guangdong, Liang

said, the fish's survival rate is nearly 95 per cent.

 

The province has built four such plants, which have raised about

300,000 sturgeon, some of which have already been released into the

province's Pearl River, Liang said.

 

Sources with Liang's organization told China Daily that the number of

rare and endangered fish species in the Pearl River has climbed to 92,

accounting for nearly 12 per cent of the nation's total number of such

species.

 

" The Pearl River valley has now become an area with lots of endangered

fish, " Liang said.

 

Besides the Chinese sturgeon, a number of other species, such as the

lamprey and the Chinese Tang fish, which can be only found in

Guangdong, also need urgent protection, according to Liang.

 

He said his organization is to set up a database to identify other

rare and endangered species within the Pearl River valley.

 

" It is expected that nearly 200 species in the river valley will be

listed on the database and will be protected, " Liang said.

 

He added his department will further promote public awareness about

protecting rare species within the valley.

 

Source: China Daily