Lhasa: 2.15 million fish fry swim into Lhasa River

On July 12, the 2022 Tibet-specific fish proliferation and releasing as well as releasing knowledge popularization activities were held along the Lhasa River. The activity was hosted by the Tibet Autonomous Region Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department, the Tibet Autonomous Region Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, and organized by the Fisheries Research Institute of the Tibet Autonomous Region Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and the Tibet Autonomous Region Fisheries Society.

The released fry included 6 species of Tibetan endemic fishes, including naked carp, Lhasa Schizopygopsis younghusbandi, and Lhasa Schizothorax waltoni. A total of 2.15 million fish fry were released, the highest number in recent years. The fish can play a role in biological water control, enrich aquatic biodiversity, effectively improving the water quality of the Lhasa River.

It is reported that there are 71 known species (including subspecies) of Tibetan indigenous fishes. "The plateau ecological environment is fragile, the ecosystem structure is simple, the growth of indigenous fish is slow, and the resource replenishment cycle is long." Tsezhen, president of the Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said that the conservation of fishery resources in Tibet is urgent.

Wang Jinlin, an assistant researcher at the Institute of Fisheries Science of the Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry of Tibet Autonomous Region, introduced that the fry released are all indigenous fishes obtained through artificial breeding with crucian carp caught in the Lhasa River.

Penba Drolma, chief veterinarian of the Tibet Autonomous Region Agriculture and Rural Department, believes that the release of 2.15 million indigenous fry into the Lhasa River is of great significance for restoring the population of indigenous fish in the river and improving and optimizing the aquatic structure of the waters.