Last call on the fish pier?

The popular Yangtze River knife fish may soon disappear from delta plates if a proposed listing for the fish as a protected species goes through, and fans are scrambling to enjoy it while they can, Xu Junqian reports.

When Chen Wanqing set out in pursuit of the knife fish along the Yangtze River last month, the 40-year-old former chef says he had "subconsciously" awaited the pleasure for a year. He and his buddies "reunite in the name of the knife fish" every spring, as they have for the past 15 years.

The anticipation has become keener in recent years as the quest becomes almost fruitless: It's now more of a "fun trip" than a food trip for the native of Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, where the knife fish is considered one of the three most precious delicacies from the Yangtze. Like pufferfish and Reeves' shad, its rarity means that gourmands like Chen will be lucky to have a chance to savor it.