The fish release event in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on June 6, 2023 Photo: Courtesy of the Three Gorges Corporation

Over 1.12 million rare fish from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were released into the Jinsha River in Yibin city, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday as a part of an effort to preserve the natural ecology in the longest river in China.

The Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) was the main species released in the Tuesday event, with a total of over 710,000 of the fish being released, including 653,000 provided by the Three Gorges Corporation, the Global Times learned. This event marked the largest-scale Yangtze sturgeon release in China and represented another significant milestone in the restoration and natural population rebuilding of Yangtze sturgeon resources.

Apart from the Yangtze sturgeon, seven other species of fish were also released at the event, such as the Chinese high-fin banded shark (Myxocyprinus asiaticus), rock carp (Procypris rabaudi) and Chinese longsnout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris).

The Yangtze sturgeon, also known as the Dabry's sturgeon, is mainly found in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and its major tributaries. It is a nationally protected wild animal in China, with significant scientific and ecological value.

It has been classified as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is one of the key species for the conservation of fish resources in the Yangtze River. Due to human activity, the natural population of the Yangtze sturgeon has continuously declined and can no longer sustain itself, the Global Times learned.

Since the first Yangtze sturgeon release in 2008, the Three Gorges Group has conducted 28 release events, releasing over one million fish, making significant contributions to the recovery of wild Yangtze sturgeon resources.