Once-threatened fish species lives another day with the recovery of its population in SW China’s Yunnan

Photo shows the Kanglang fish. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

Southwest China’s Yunnan province has increased the population of its indigenous Kanglang fish (Anabarilius grahami), which was once on the brink of extinction, and has successfully commercialized the species through artificial breeding in recent years.

Endemic to Fuxian Lake in Yunnan, the fish can only survive in an extremely clean body of water, and is therefore regarded as a barometer for the lake’s water quality. Unfortunately, the species almost became extinct in the middle of the 1980s due to overfishing and the introduction of invasive species.

To save the species, scientists started carrying out artificial breeding, with investments from the local government. Following the success of the trial, breeding bases were established. For instance, at an area of 1,656 mu (about 110.4 hectares), the Yunyugu Kanglang fish breeding base in Yiliang county is the largest of its kind in Yunnan, and produces upwards of 120 million quality fish fry annually.

Over 1 million fry of the Kanglang fish raised at the base were released into Fuxian Lake in 2018 and 2019. This June, another 340,000 artificially-bred fry from the base were also released into the lake.

Today, the species no longer faces the risk of extinction. Thanks to the successful commercialization of the fish, which is rich in nutrients and tastes good, it has become a star dish on dinner tables.