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S. China City to Set Up Protection Centers for Aquatic Species

Posted on: Monday, 23 January 2006, 09:00 CST

S. China city to set up protection centers for aquatic species

BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Three freshwater wildlife protection centers are scheduled to be built in four years in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province to preserve endangered species.

After completion of the project, many endangered aquatic species will be moved into the centers for protection, said Liang Jianhong, director of the Guangzhou Freshwater Wildlife Species Rescue Center, according to a report by Monday's China Daily.

The program, mainly protecting species placed under top-level preservation, such as the Chinese sturgeon, is part of a bold campaign in Guangdong to protect the province's aquatic life.

According to Liang, the three protection centers will be located in Guangdong's Zengcheng, Huadu and Conghua districts.

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.

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 said that the number of rare and endangered fish species in the Pearl River has climbed to 92, accounting for nearly 12 percent of the nation's total number of such species.

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, and will further promote public awareness about protecting rare species.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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