China, Laos release 770,000 fish fry into Mekong River

KUNMING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — China and Laos have jointly released 770,000 fish fry into the Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, in a stock enhancement activity as part of an effort to bolster aquatic biodiversity.
Asian redtail catfish and red mahseer were among the fry species released on Tuesday in the border city of Jinghong in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
A joint fishery patrol attended by representatives from the two countries was also conducted on the same day.
Jiang Kaiyong, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, expressed the hope that the two countries will strengthen communication and exchanges, and deepen collaboration in aquatic life protection, fishery industry and fishery affairs to help build a China-Laos community of shared future and improve livelihoods together.
The Lancang-Mekong River is one of the rivers with the richest freshwater biodiversity globally. Since China and Laos began joint fishery enforcement and stock enhancement activities in 2015, more than 4.2 million fish fry of various species have been released into the river, contributing to the protection of aquatic life and the recovery of resources. ■