Full artificial propagation of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon, a national first-class protected animal

Xinhua News Agency, Chengdu, May 6 (Reporter Wang Xi) On the 6th, reporters learned from the technical appraisal meeting on the results of the full artificial propagation of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo salmon held in Chengdu, Sichuan that the full artificial propagation of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo salmon, a national first-class protected animal, was successful.

From the 5th to the 6th, experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences and other units conducted field survey, discussion and identification on the achievements of the project "Research on Complete Artificial Propagation Technology of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon", which was completed by the Fisheries Research Institute of the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Heilongjiang Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences and other units Cao Wenxuan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced that the complete artificial breeding of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo salmon was successful.

This is a generation of adult Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo salmon. (Picture provided by Fisheries Research Institute of Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

Sichuan Shaanxi Hucho salmon is a national first-class protected animal and a flagship species in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It is understood that in 2016, the achievement completion unit broke through the artificial propagation technology of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon wild population in the Dadu River basin for the first time, cultivated a generation of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon for many years, established the only artificial population of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon in China, and laid a foundation for its germplasm resources protection and natural species recovery. In 2024, the achievement completion unit has expedited the production of the first generation parent fish of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon in multiple batches. At present, there are more than 3500 two month old second generation larvae, realizing the full artificial reproduction of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon.

This is the second generation larvae of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon, photographed at Jiguanshan Cold Water Fish Research Base, Chongzhou, Sichuan Province, on May 5. Photographed by Wang Xi, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency

"Next, we will take measures such as strengthening breeding and releasing, carrying out ecological restoration of habitats, strengthening the cultivation of second-generation seedlings of artificial propagation and genetic file management to further improve the technology of all artificial propagation of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon, aiming at the restoration and reconstruction of the wild natural population of Sichuan Shaanxi Zheluo Salmon," said Du Jun, secretary of the Party Committee of the Fisheries Research Institute of the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences.