At 16:30 on November 18, 2024，30,000 first-generation fry of ship sturgeon, which ia nationally second-class protected species, were released into the Ili River. This marks the first artificial propagation and release of ship sturgeon.

Photo shows ship sturgeon being released.

Ship sturgeon belongs to the Acipenseridae family and the Acipenser genus. In China, it is only found in the Ili River of Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. After being introduced into the Ili River in 1930s, the river has become the only one in China where the ship sturgeon grows.

Photo shows ship sturgeon.

In the Ili River, the population of ship sturgeon declined dramatically due to overfishing. Today, only 11 wild individuals of ship sturgeon are known to exist in China, consisting of five females and six males.

Ship sturgeon is listed as a second-class nationally protected animal in China and a first-class protected animal in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is also included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2009 ver 3.1) — Critically Endangered (CR); included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) — Appendix II; and listed in the Chinese National Key Protected Wildlife List (2021 edition) as a second-class protected species (only for wild populations).

To protect ship sturgeon, since 2007, scientific research teams have been working on experiments, achieving the first breakthrough in artificial breeding in 2020, and in June 2024, they achieved the first large-scale breeding of the sturgeon. In this large-scale breeding, a total of 80,000 fertilized eggs were collected, successfully hatching 55,000 individuals, with a hatching rate of 68.75 percent. To date, 45,000 first-generation sturgeon fry, each measuring 10-20 centimeters in length, have been successfully bred.

The release of the first-generation fry of the sturgeon into the Ili River is based on this large-scale breeding. It is reported that the average length of the released fry is 15 centimeters, and all have been marked with fluorescence. In addition, 30 fry weighing one kilogram have been implanted with PIT(Passive Integrated Transponders) tags. After the release, the scientific research team will use professional monitoring equipment and technology to track the released individuals at suitable monitoring points in the Ili River, recording detailed information on their range of activity and migration routes.

It is understood that the Xinjiang Water Conservancy Development Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., which undertakes the scientific research work of ship sturgeon breeding, has formulated a long-term plan to release the sturgeon fry into the Ili River annually, committed to restoring the population of ship sturgeon in the Ili River.

(The Media Convergence Center of Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Reporters: Cai Lipeng, Kamila and Patiman)