Battling against the current

Operators of the Three Gorges Dam have, for the first time, added to the flows downstream to help the spawning of Yangtze River carp. Wang Ru reports.

The Three Gorges Dam has regulated its water flow for the first time since being put into operation in August 2009 to allow for the spawning of Chinese carp. This marks a significant step toward minimizing the mammoth hydroelectric project's ecological impact on the central and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Over six days from June 16, the dam added 2,000 cubic meters per second to its daily discharge downstream in an attempt to mimic natural floods, which is crucial for the carp's spawning. "It is a vital decision and a great opportunity to revive the endangered fish population in the Yangtze River," says Chen Daqing, deputy director of Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS). About 60 percent of China's freshwater fish come from the Yangtze River, with four species of Chinese carp (black, grass, bighead and silver carp) found mainly in this area.

But human activities, including over-fishing, shipping, pollution, wetland reclamation and waterway modification have decreased the fishery resources in the Yangtze River basin over the past 30 years.