China, Russia enhance joint fish resources

China and Russia have jointly released 480,000 endangered fish fry — recently hatched or juvenile fish — into the Heilongjiang River, a border river between the two countries, as part of their annual effort to restore fish stocks and strengthen cross-border conservation of aquatic resources.

Officials from fisheries authorities, researchers from both countries, local representatives and fishermen gathered in Tongjiang, Heilongjiang province, on Tuesday to release Heilongjiang sturgeon and kaluga fry into the river, marking the launch of the 2026 China-Russia joint fish stock enhancement program in the border waters.

Kaluga, a first-class nationally protected aquatic wild animal, and Heilongjiang sturgeon, a second-class nationally protected aquatic wild animal, are native to the Heilongjiang River system.

China and Russia have jointly conducted fish stock enhancement activities in the Heilongjiang River system since 2008. Over the past 18 joint releases, the two sides have released more than 20 million Heilongjiang sturgeon and kaluga fry, helping restore fishery resources in the border river.

"Heilongjiang shares a 2,723-kilometer border waterline with Russia, the longest among China's provincial-level regions," said Han Peng, director of the Fisheries Administration Bureau of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

"Since a Sino-Russian fisheries agreement was signed in 1994, both sides have strictly implemented the provisions, scientifically delineating perennial fishing ban areas and setting fishing ban periods."

Han said the two countries also conduct joint law enforcement inspections every spring and autumn along the Heilongjiang and Wusuli rivers.

Long-term monitoring has shown encouraging results. In 2018, migratory Heilongjiang sturgeon and kaluga were primarily between 1 and 3 years old. The observed age range had expanded to between 1 and 5 years by 2024 and 2025, with the oldest individual reaching 8 years.

"Through tagging and tracking observations, released fry can feed, grow and adapt normally to the wild, with the population's age structure continuing to improve, indicating a clear recovery trend among rare fish resources in the border river," Han said.

Chen Huaifa, director of the Heilongjiang Aquatic Animal Resource Conservation Center, said the release activity strictly follows national and Heilongjiang provincial technical standards for aquatic biological stock enhancement and release, with standardized control throughout the process.

"Heilongjiang sturgeon and kaluga are key protected species in the China-Russia border river," Chen said.

All released fry undergo genetic identification, health quarantine and size screening and are managed through a closed-loop process covering transportation, temporary rearing, release, marking and monitoring to improve their adaptability to the wild, he said.

"We began field training a week before the release, replacing pellet feed with natural bait to mimic the river's feeding environment," Chen said. "We also increased water flow speed to simulate the river's current, helping them adapt more quickly to the wild and improve survival rates."

Among the 480,000 fry released, 100,000 Heilongjiang sturgeon came from the Tongjiang aquatic technology promotion station.

"After the Heilongjiang sturgeon breeding peak began in mid-May, we selected 100,000 high-quality fry for cultivation. After more than two months, they had reached about 5 centimeters in length, meeting release standards," said Qi Yongfeng, director of the station.

Tongjiang, located at the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Songhua rivers, serves as an important migration corridor for Heilongjiang sturgeon, kaluga and chum salmon.

"Tongjiang is a necessary passage for Heilongjiang sturgeon, kaluga and chum salmon to migrate across borders," said Zhang Jiukai, deputy mayor of Tongjiang.

"The city has a national-level aquatic germplasm resource protection area and a standardized cold-water fish breeding base capable of independently breeding purebred Heilongjiang sturgeon and kaluga fry, providing a stable supply for the annual China-Russia joint release," he added.

Russian officials and fisheries experts attending the event praised the progress made in bilateral cooperation on conserving fishery resources in the border river.

Denis Krylov, head of the Russian delegation, said sturgeon and kaluga are also key protected species in Russia.

"We conduct various types of fish fry release activities every year, adhering to the principle of sustainable use while complementing natural resources," he said. "We firmly believe that as long as we work hand in hand to protect the river's aquatic biological resources, we can maintain stable populations and ensure that people in both countries continue to benefit from abundant, high-quality fish resources."

Local fishermen said they have witnessed the river's recovery firsthand. "I've been fishing for four decades," said 58-year-old Li Changyou. "In the past, the river seemed wide, but there were fewer fish, and they were getting smaller. Now, besides chum salmon, carp and crucian carp, there are more fish, and they are larger."

"Local people's awareness has also changed," he said. "Everyone knows that Heilongjiang sturgeon and kaluga are protected animals. If they are accidentally caught, we release them immediately without needing a reminder from fisheries authorities."