China striving to restore ecosystem at Yangtze River estuary
www.chinaview.cn 2004-12-21 21:23:45
SHANGHAI, Dec. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- In a bid to repair the severely damaged ecosystem in Yangtze River, 25,000 Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir Sinensis) were released Monday into the estuary waters.
The release was organized by East China Sea Aquatic Products Institute with China Academy of Aquatic Product Sciences, Yangtze River Estuary Navigable Route Construction Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Municipal Administration for Fishery Supervision. It is part of the country's four-year-old campaign to restore ecosystem at the Yangtze River Estuary.
Chinese sturgeon, oyster and other river bed-borne life forms have also been released into the estuary waters on three previous occasions.
According to Professor Chen Yaqu with East China Sea Aquatic Products Institute, the Yangtze River Estuary is a prime propagating ground for Chinese mitten crabs, where the adult crabsmate between autumn and winter and the hatched fries will follow the tide upstream in the Yangtze between May and June. The crabs eventually settle down in fresh-water lakes and creeks connected to the Yangtze.
However, the crab fry resources grown in the wild have been on decline in the estuary area as a result of factors such as construction of large water conservancy projects, especially building of embankments, as well as pollution and overfishing.
The crabs released on Monday are bred via artificial means withstock obtained from Yangcheng Lake in southeastern Jiangsu Province, which is best known for production of quality Chinese mitten crabs.
"Under normal natural conditions, the crabs released this time will help raise the crab output in the estuary area by 10 to 20 percent a year," said Chen. Enditem
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