Focus on Arts and Ecology

Construction projects in Jingzhou, a Yangtze River town in Hubei province, have been stopped following the death of 36 Chinese sturgeons. A joint investigation team drawn from multiple provincial government departments has been stationed in Jingzhou, reports thepaper.cn. Since September 2017 the construction of Jingzhou Eco-cultural Tourist Area, which borders a national aquatic resources protection area, has wreaked havoc on a sturgeon breeding base. A series of die-offs caused the owner of the breeding base, Hengsheng Corporation, to complain vehemently and plea for government intervention. China banned fishing of wild Chinese sturgeon in 2009 and has tried to restore the stock through breeding. It takes 12-20 years and intensive care to raise a Chinese sturgeon to maturity.