BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2024 /CNW/ -- Summer is the busiest season at Qinghai Lake, the largest saline lake in China.
Birds feed and nurture their young, herders drive yaks to the alpine pastures. Meanwhile, an army of naked carp, a species unique to the lake, gather to start their annual migration.
The fish swim in the lake, which lies in northwest China's Qinghai Province, at an average depth of 18 meters. But the high saline and alkaline content of the lake water inhibits their gonad development, so every year from May to August the mature naked carp head to the fresh waters of the Buha River and Shaliu River, that flow into the lake, to spawn. This forms one of the great wonders of Qinghai Lake – the migration of the naked carp.
The 'lost and found' naked carp
The naked carp has a special place in the hearts of people in Qinghai, because it once helped save countless lives. In the 1950s and 1960s, food shortages led locals to rely on the fish for survival. The large-scale development of Qinghai Lake's naked carp population began.
But in just a few decades, the "gift of the divine lake," as the fish was known, was in danger of extinction due to overfishing and habitat loss. By the early 21st century, the number of naked carp in Qinghai Lake had fallen to less than 1 percent of the historical peak.
The local government implemented fishing bans and cracked down hard on illegal fishing and trading. Combined with artificial breeding and the improvement of the ecology of the lake, the carp population bounced back despite a low fertility rate.
Over time, the efforts have paid off. As of 2023, the total tonnage of naked carp in the lake had reached about 120,300 – about 44 times that of 2002. The fish's protection status has since been downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable."
The protection of the naked carp is just one example of the success of China's conservation efforts. From giant pandas and crested ibises to golden snub-nosed monkeys, the populations of rare species have gradually grown as the country's system of nature reserves has developed.
China is home to some of the richest biodiversity on Earth and is the only country with nearly all ecosystem types. Its natural protected areas have boosted biodiversity conservation and play a primary role in safeguarding national ecological security.
Nature reserves of various types have been established in the People's Republic of China since its founding in 1949. Protection of endangered species has been continuously strengthened, international cooperation has grown, and the network of natural protected areas is bearing fruit.