Bridge construction work killed 6000 rare fish in China

SHANGHAI: China stopped the construction of a bridge in the province of Hubei after it was reported to have caused the death of around 6,000 critically endangered fish species, Chinese sturgeon, the China Daily said. The fishes were bred at an aquafarm in Jingzhou.

An investigation team found that the construction project in the city of Jingzhou illegally encroached on a protected national nature reserve, the paper said. Their deaths were attributed to the “shocks, noises and changes of water sources” brought about by the bridge project.

The Chinese sturgeon is on the verge of extinction due to pollution, overfishing and the construction of massive hydroelectric dams along the Yangtze river.

Over-development of the river also contributed in the decline of the population of the native Yangtze porpoise and caused the extinction of the baiji dolphin which was well known as the “Yangtze mermaid”.

A total of 1,085 native Chinese species of animals and plants are listed on the global red list of “threatened” species compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.