CTG drives Yangtze sturgeon comeback: from artificial propagation to natural spawning

Date: 2025-11-20

From "extinct in the wild" (2019) to renewed hope, CTG has led the turnaround by launching full artificial propagation R&D in 2011; achieving the first successful full artificial propagation and scalable breeding in 2019; breaking through induced gynogenesis to curb inbreeding and preserve germplasm in 2022; and releasing 670,000+ juveniles to reinforce wild stocks in 2023.

In 2025, CTG enabled the first natural spawning and hatching of released Yangtze sturgeon in the Chishui River's mainstem through targeted habitat modification—a critical step from ex situ safeguarding to natural self-recruitment. Through its preservation efforts, CTG has presented a replicable model for endangered species protection, habitat restoration, and Yangtze Basin sustainability.

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By China Three Gorges Corporation

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