Students release fish fry into the Huangpu River, helping the annual restocking.(Photo/Shanghai Daily)
More than 400,000 fish fry were recently released into the upper reaches of the Huangpu River in Songjiang's Shihudang area — an annual spring ritual to improve the aquatic ecological environment.
This month and next, more than 30 million fingerlings will be released.
The most recent release included 160,000 silver carp, 150,000 crucians and 150,000 yellow catfish. Each fingerling was about 10 centimeters long and all of them passed pesticide residue tests.
Once in the wild, the fish will mainly feed on algae, plankton and organic debris, helping improve river water quality.
"May is the best season to release the young fish because fishing is then banned in Shanghai's inland waters and in the Huangpu River," said Zhang Chen from the city's agricultural committee. "This gives the fry a chance to grow and survive. Then, too, food for the young fish is plentiful this time of year."
Every year, the municipal and district governments invest 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million) to release fingerings in the upper reaches of Huangpu River, in Dianshan Lake near the Qingpu District and in the mouth of the Yangtze River.
The plentiful supply of fish will be a boon to fishermen when they are once again allowed to ply the waterways.
Currently Shanghai has 500 organizations involved in fish releases. The rules ban the release of feral aquatic animals, such as the Brazilian turtle, the koi fish and snakeheads.
"Improving the ecological system and the water environment requires the coordinated efforts of a lot of people," Zhang said.
