China steps up efforts to rescue Yangtze sturgeon

CHENGDU -- Southwest China's Sichuan province will do more to restore the wild population of Dabry's sturgeon, an endemic and endangered species.

This year, Sichuan has released 50 adult sturgeon and more than 85,000 fry into the the Yangtze, according to staff at the province's bureau of aquatic products. The province plans to release hundreds of adult sturgeon and tens of thousands of fry in 2019 and 2020 in a bid to restore the population.

A monitoring network will review the effects of the plan.

The province will improve genetic research and management of the species and crack down on illegal fishing.

The Yangtze sturgeon lost its natural ability to breed in 2000 due to dam construction, overfishing, and crowded rivers. It was classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2010.