China, Russia release 480,000 endangered sturgeon into border river

(ECNS) -- China and Russia released more than 5.68 million fish fry into the Heilong (Amur) River, which forms part of the border between the two countries, on Tuesday as part of their 18th joint fish-stocking program in the border waters.

The release took place in Tongjiang, a city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, at the confluence of the Heilong and Songhua rivers.

It included 480,000 juvenile kaluga and Amur sturgeon, both protected species in China, along with 5.2 million commercially valuable fish such as silver carp and grass carp. 

The two countries have carried out 18 joint releases in the Heilong border waters since 2008, stocking more than 20 million sturgeon and kaluga fry in total.

Monitoring data show that the age range of the sturgeon population has widened from 1-3 years in 2018 to 1-5 years in 2024-2025, with the oldest individuals reaching 8 years, pointing to a recovery.

The China-Russia border section of the Heilong River stretches 2,723 kilometers. Since the two countries signed a bilateral fishery agreement in 1994, they have conducted 27 joint law-enforcement patrols in the border waters.

(By Helen Mo, intern Li Chengzhan)