Hubei officials punished over deaths of endangered fish

Fifteen officials of Hubei were under investigation and punished in July due to their malfeasance and dereliction of duty, which caused the death of 36 Chinese sturgeons, a critically endangered fish, in a breeding base in 2017 and 2018.

The main reason behind the death of the Chinese sturgeons was the construction of a bridge near the breeding base in Jingzhou, Hubei province, according to the report of Workers' Daily on Sunday.

The local Miyue Bridge was one of the projects under the Jingzhou Culture and Tourism Area, which started a series of municipal projects to promote the local tourism development, it said.

The bridge intruded on the living area of Chinese sturgeons and there was only a wall between the bridge and the biggest breeding pool, it added.

Experts from the Fisheries Bureau of Hubei province found that the noise, shaking and changes in the water source directly posed threats to the fish, according to the report.

The construction disturbed the sensitive and timid fish, which jumped out of the water or crashed into the wall. That may lead to further infections and potential deaths, according to a relevant person in charge from the Fisheries Bureau of Hubei Province in the report.

The Chinese sturgeon, considered a national treasure, is a precious species in the Yangtze River and under special State protection. In 2017, the mascot of the Seventh World Military Games was also inspired by the Chinese sturgeon.

However, the deterioration of the living environment has put the fish on the brink of extinction. Only a little over 20 Chinese sturgeons were found in the Yangtze River. Therefore, artificial breeding is crucial for the protection of the fish, the report said.

There were 567 Chinese sturgeons, about 60 percent of the national artificial breeding population, living in the breeding base of Hubei Hengsheng Industrial Co Ltd. The protection of those Chinese sturgeons is of great importance for conserving the critically endangered fish.

Efforts to protect the fish have never ceased. Hubei Agricultural Department sent officials in June 2018 to seek the assistance of the Jingzhou government and supervise relevant work. But three months later, Chinese sturgeons still continued to die.

The Fisheries Bureau of Hubei province also urged the Jingzhou government to stop the construction of the bridge. However, the bridge was still under construction though the Jingzhou Cultural and Tourism Area expressed that the only way to protect the fish was to halt the construction work, the report said.

Liu Jianing in Beijing contributed to this story.