Kunming Sunac Sea World Launches Yangtze River Aquatic Biodiversity Science Exhibition, Featuring First Appearance of Chinese Sturgeon and Yangtze Sturgeon in Kunming
On October 12, the Yangtze River Aquatic Biodiversity Science Exhibition opened at Kunming Sunac Sea World. The public can visit Kunming Sunac Sea World to learn about and understand the diversity of Yangtze River aquatic life, such as Chinese sturgeon and Yangtze sturgeon, through sturgeon viewing and a science corridor, thereby raising awareness of biodiversity conservation.
This science exhibition is co-hosted by the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Sub-commission of the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Chinese Sturgeon Conservation Alliance, and co-organized by the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan University, the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shanghai Changyu Yangtze River Aquatic Life Conservation Foundation, the Yangtze River Conservation Foundation (CCF), and the Yangtze Finless Porpoise Science Education Center. It is hosted by Kunming Sunac Sea World and guided by the Yangtze River Basin Fisheries Supervision and Administration Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Li Yanliang, President of the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Sub-commission of the China Wildlife Conservation Association; Zhang Mu, First-level Inspector of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Cai Yong, Director of the Fisheries and Fishery Administration Bureau of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Wei Qiwei, Researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wang Limin of the Chinese Sturgeon Conservation Alliance; and Song Tianqi, Director of Kunming Sunac Sea World, attended the opening ceremony.
The Chinese sturgeon is known as the 'giant panda in water,' and the Yangtze sturgeon is a precious 'treasure of the Yangtze.' Coinciding with the COP15 conference period, the simultaneous appearance of Chinese sturgeon and Yangtze sturgeon in Kunming holds significant practical importance. On one hand, it supports the convening of COP15, bringing the public closer to the conference and helping to establish and strengthen public awareness of biodiversity conservation through the exhibition. On the other hand, it leverages the COP15 conference to further expand societal attention and protection for the Chinese sturgeon.
Li Yanliang, President of the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Sub-commission of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, stated: 'The Chinese sturgeon is born in the Yangtze River and grows in the sea, with a survival history longer than that of the giant panda. However, due to its aquatic habitat, which is hidden and widely distributed, the difficulty of protecting the Chinese sturgeon far exceeds that of the giant panda.'
'All things live in harmony and grow with nourishment.' Biodiversity makes the Earth vibrant and is also the foundation of human survival and development. Protecting biodiversity helps maintain the Earth's home and promotes sustainable human development. COP15, with its theme of 'Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth,' emphasizes that 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, and the protection of aquatic biodiversity cannot be ignored.
Song Tianqi, Director of Kunming Sunac Sea World, said: 'The Yangtze River Aquatic Biodiversity Science Exhibition is an important way for the public to understand the aquatic biodiversity of the Yangtze River, the ecological environment of the Yangtze River basin, and the achievements of Yangtze River protection. As a science education base in Kunming and a youth science demonstration base in Xishan District, Kunming Sunac Sea World is a practitioner of Dianchi Lake protection, and it is our unshirkable responsibility to engage more people in Yangtze River protection.'
Kunming Sunac Sea World is one of the few aquariums nationwide licensed to keep Chinese sturgeon and Yangtze sturgeon. Recently, over 120 Chinese sturgeon and 20 Yangtze sturgeon have arrived at Kunming Sunac Sea World and will be kept here for long-term care. The longest Chinese sturgeon among the fish reaches 2.5 meters, and the longest Yangtze sturgeon reaches 1.1 meters, all being artificially bred parent fish. Chinese sturgeon are relatively large, with the largest males reaching over 2.5 meters in length and weighing over 150 kg, while females can reach 4 meters and weigh 680 kg.
The Chinese sturgeon is one of the oldest vertebrates on Earth, living in the same era as dinosaurs, and is known as a living fossil among aquatic organisms. Due to various reasons, it is now on the brink of extinction and listed as a critically endangered species. In 2013 and 2014, Chinese scientists failed to find wild Chinese sturgeon naturally spawning during two consecutive years of field monitoring.
The Yangtze sturgeon is a national first-class protected animal, historically mainly distributed in the lower reaches of the Jinsha River and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River mainstem and its tributaries. In recent years, wild populations have declined significantly, making them difficult to find in tributaries. After the implementation of stock enhancement, the population in the mainstem of the Yangtze River has increased.
The Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences is one of the earliest major fisheries science research institutions in China. Its Jingzhou Taihu Base primarily conducts scientific research on Chinese sturgeon fry cultivation, adult fish farming, broodstock (reserve broodstock) cultivation, and stock enhancement. It also serves as a rescue center for wild Chinese sturgeon in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, responsible for rescuing accidentally caught Chinese sturgeon and other rare and endemic fish along the river.
Establishing a fully artificial breeding population is one of the most important approaches for the conservation of the Chinese sturgeon. Full artificial propagation of Chinese sturgeon refers to obtaining fry (F1) through artificial breeding of wild individuals, then raising them for over 15 years until sexual maturity, followed by artificial breeding of cultured individuals to obtain artificially propagated fry (F2). For the Chinese sturgeon, which has late sexual maturity (typically 15 years), full artificial propagation is extremely challenging.
In 2012, the Jingzhou Taihu Base of the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute achieved a breakthrough in full artificial propagation technology for Chinese sturgeon, obtaining 38,000 first-feeding fry. In 2016, they broke through large-scale full artificial propagation and have since achieved continuous success. To date, over 300,000 F2 Chinese sturgeon fry have been obtained. This major breakthrough in large-scale full artificial breeding of Chinese sturgeon marks the success of full artificial conservation, laying the foundation for large-scale stock enhancement and resource conservation of Chinese sturgeon.
On April 16, 2016, researchers from the Endangered Fish Conservation Group selected 3 male and 2 female fish, and through processes including induced spawning, sperm collection, egg collection, artificial insemination, egg de-adhesion, and incubation, obtained approximately 64,000 fertilized eggs, successfully hatching over 30,000 F2 Yangtze sturgeon larvae. This marked the fourth consecutive year of success since 2013 for full artificial propagation of Yangtze sturgeon, indicating that the full artificial propagation technology for Yangtze sturgeon at the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute is now mature.
Kunming Sunac Sea World will conduct science education on Yangtze River aquatic biodiversity conservation through science corridor displays, on-site explanations, and viewing of Chinese sturgeon and Yangtze sturgeon. Protecting and saving the Chinese sturgeon has profound practical significance for the development and rational utilization of wildlife resources and the maintenance of ecological balance.
At the same time, Kunming Sunac Sea World is planning to apply to Kunming's agriculture and fishery authorities to establish a 'Wildlife Rescue Base' to fulfill the corporate responsibilities and obligations for wildlife rescue. During the COP15 conference, Kunming Sunac Sea World serves as an important window for conference guests, experts, and the general public to understand the biodiversity conservation and achievements of the Yangtze River basin.
