From China Dialogue:
Before the 1980s, 3,500 Chinese sturgeon returned annually to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River to spawn. Today that figure is less than 500. Estimates put the breeding population at less than 1,000.
At Shanghai’s Sturgeon Rescue Centre, a Chinese sturgeon over three metres long is laid out on a table. It has been brought here for treatment. Covered in scars, it is still more fortunate than its kin, killed by fishing nets or ship propellers.
The fish was accidentally caught in a fisherman’s net on July 17. Its struggles left it with serious scrapes and grazes. Fortunately, specialists from the centre were soon on the scene, taking in the huge fish for expert treatment. [Full Text]