This species of animal only lives in the Yangtze River – the longest river in Asia located in China.
Over 58,000 large dams and millions of smaller ones around the world have significantly impacted the ecosystems of rivers. By disrupting sediment and nutrient transport, altering flow regimes and riverbeds, these structures have led to concerning consequences for local fish species and the overall river ecosystem.
In China, along the Yangtze River – home to the world’s largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam – the Yangtze Sturgeon (scientific name: Acipenser dabryanus) is on the brink of extinction: from being critically endangered in 1996 (CR) to completely extinct in the wild (EW).
IUCN states that the Yangtze Sturgeon is only found in China.
This announcement was made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2022.
Two years after the IUCN’s announcement, every effort by Chinese scientists to reintroduce the Yangtze Sturgeon from captivity back into the wild has been unsuccessful.
What has caused this iconic fish species of China to fall into the depths of extinction?
“The Last Giant of the Yangtze”
Fishing-worldrecords reports that the record weight and length of a Yangtze Sturgeon is 80 kg and 250 cm. This was a wild sturgeon aged 40 years, living in the nutrient-rich upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
The Yangtze Sturgeon is classified as a medium-sized sturgeon, making it perhaps the “last giant” of the Yangtze River, as over the years, not a single endemic sturgeon has been spotted in the natural habitat of this largest river in China.
The presence of the Three Gorges Dam has contributed to the complete disappearance of this “treasure” of the river in the wild.
The IUCN states that the Yangtze Sturgeon is exclusively found in China. Its historical natural range was confined to the Yangtze River basin and its main tributaries.
As early as the late 20th century, this population suffered a significant decline due to overfishing and habitat degradation caused by humans – the two main causes of extinction. Since 2014, no individuals have been seen in the wild.
Despite the Chinese government’s efforts to protect the species and its listing in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1998, illegal and lucrative sturgeon meat and caviar trade continue to deplete the fish population in the river.
“Diamond Eggs” of Great Value
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations states that traditionally, sturgeons have played an important role in the daily lives of the Chinese people. The earliest records of sturgeon in China date back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). During the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), fried sturgeon was a popular dish.
Caviar is one of the most luxurious foods in the world.
Today, the elite increasingly favor salted sturgeon caviar due to its high nutritional value and numerous health benefits.
Caviar is indeed one of the most luxurious foods globally. The eggs are harvested from female sturgeons before fertilization and then salted to enhance flavor and extend the shelf life of the finished product. This combination of unfertilized sturgeon eggs and salt is what creates the delicacy known as caviar.
Where there is demand, there is supply. For immediate profit, many have disregarded everything to obtain the luxurious and colorful “diamond pearls” – sturgeon caviar – to serve the “elite.” This is why the black market for sturgeon caviar in China and Europe is very active.
Why is sturgeon caviar expensive? Because sturgeons generally mature very late (up to 20 years). Therefore, it is not easy for a female sturgeon to bear eggs. Beluga sturgeon caviar from the Danube is famous worldwide, fetching exorbitant prices up to €6,000 (over 160 million VND) per kilogram, according to the FAO.
Meanwhile, the “black diamond” caviar in China is priced at about 110 million VND per kilogram, according to Pleasurewine.
The latest research on the global sturgeon caviar market shows that the global sturgeon caviar market was valued at $575.68 million in 2022. It is projected to reach $979.92 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.27% during the forecast period.
These figures indicate that the sturgeon caviar market remains extremely hot in recent years.
China’s Efforts
The world’s largest Three Gorges Dam has stood firm on the Yangtze River since construction began in 1994 and was completed in 2003. To generate massive electricity and prevent flooding downstream, this dam must be maintained. This is obvious.
So what can be done to restore the Yangtze Sturgeon, despite it being declared completely extinct in the wild by the IUCN?
In 1998, China listed the Yangtze Sturgeon as a first-class protected animal. All natural fishing activities are illegal.
The Yangtze Sturgeon was declared extinct in the wild in 2022.
In 2000, China established its first national nature reserve in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. This reserve was expanded in 2005 to minimize conflicts between hydroelectric projects and ecosystem maintenance. It is now the largest underwater reserve in China, with a total length of 1,162.6 km, including 436.5 km of the main river.
In 2021, the Chinese government banned all fishing activities in the Yangtze River.
However, in 2022, the IUCN still declared the Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) extinct in the wild, despite human “correction” efforts.
As the Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) faces the risk of being completely lost from the wild, its existence (even in captivity) is entirely dependent on breeding efforts; otherwise, the species could become entirely extinct globally.
This effort was first attempted in 1976 but failed. The second and third breeding attempts were successfully conducted by the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute in 2013 and 2018.
Since 2018, hundreds of thousands of sturgeons of various sizes have been released upstream in the Yangtze River annually to restore the natural population. However, all efforts have been unsuccessful. To date, there is no evidence that this species is currently reproducing in the wild.
In return, the farming of sturgeons has opened up a lucrative aquaculture industry for China. Commercial sturgeon farming in China began in the last decade of the 20th century.
By the early 21st century, sturgeon farming in the country began to boom. The total production of sturgeon in China increased from 10,900 tons in 2003 to over 90,000 tons in 2017, making China the largest sturgeon producer in the world. The main sturgeon products in China are fresh fish weighing 1–2 kg for meat consumption, which is unique in the world where sturgeons are typically farmed for caviar production.
Only 20% of sturgeons in China are used for caviar production.
Due to the long maturity cycle of female sturgeons and the high investment risk in sturgeon farming, only 20% of sturgeons in China are used to produce caviar. The production of farmed caviar in China rose from 0.7 tons in 2006 to 135 tons in 2018, according to the FAO. Today, China has emerged as one of the most significant producers and exporters of caviar globally.
Caviar is a luxury item in Europe and America, and Chinese consumers are gradually embracing it. In 2017, China exported over 130 tons of caviar. The U.S. spent $7 million on caviar from China in the same year.
While there are apparent economic benefits from sturgeon farming, China remains cautious not to fall into the “pitfall” of the Yangtze Sturgeon’s extinction.
This country continues to maintain a ban on fishing in the Yangtze River, while all activities related to natural fish release are ongoing. Additionally, there is a national action plan that may help rebuild a self-sustaining population of Yangtze sturgeon over the coming decades.
Arne Ludwig, Chair of the IUCN Sturgeon Specialist Group, concluded: The loss of wild freshwater species has contributed to the decline of biodiversity and the degradation of their river habitats, which are essential for the prosperity of both humans and nature. If humans continue to neglect sustainable management of their rivers and fail to fulfill commitments to conserve fish species, the global loss of nature will only grow more severe.
