More than 1.6 billion larvae of aquatic creatures were released into rivers, coastal waters and lakes across China on Friday, as part of a significant conservation initiative to improve the nation’s fishery stock.
The main event of the nationwide campaign was held in Fuzhou, the capital city of east China's Fujian Province, where 2.85 million marine and freshwater fries such as eel, sea bass, silver carp and bighead carp were released into the estuary of the Minjiang River and the waters around Matsu islands.
Similar activities were held simultaneously across the country, releasing over 1.6 billion aquatic creatures, including 1.28 billion marine species, 300 million freshwater species, and 50 million precious, endangered and freshwater regional species.
Initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the national restocking activity has been organized annually since 2015, contributing to conserving aquatic biological resources and maintaining biodiversity.
"Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), more than 150 billion larvae have been released across China, which has played a significant supplementary role in restoring the country's marine and freshwater fishery resources. Our monitoring shows that over 90 percent of the Chinese prawns caught in the Bohai Sea each year come from restocking, and over 30 percent of the large yellow croakers caught in the East China Sea are artificially restocked resources. The proportion of Chinese sturgeon released from the Yangtze River Basin into the ocean has exceeded 10 percent," said Yuan Xiaochu, deputy director of the Bureau of Fisheries under China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
China's fishery restocked with release of 1.6 billion larvae of aquatic life
Chinese embassies and consulates around the world have been holding receptions to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China which lands on Thursday, with guests taking the chance to highlight the country's development in the new era in areas such as new energy, technology, and electric vehicles.
The Chinese Consulate General in New York hosted a reception on Monday to mark the occasion, drawing over 400 guests from across the consular district and from foreign consulates based in the city.
Many attendees noted that China's sci-tech advances in recent years reflect the pace of its innovation and offer fresh opportunities for deeper cooperation between China and the United States.
"So what I mentioned in the speech is solar, wind power, electric vehicles, electric vehicle batteries and stuff that China has now in a way leapfrogged," said Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
"China's commitment to EVs, just as an example, is basically a two-decade story. I think the U.S. could learn from maybe being a little more patient [and] look further down the road to see what the prospects are," said Anthony Moretti, associate professor of communication at Robert Morris University.
"It's really wonderful to see things as they have grown so much in China," said David L. Reich, president of The Mount Sinai Hospital and Chief Clinical Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System, as he also extended his congratulations to the country's anniversary.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Belgium and the Chinese Mission to the EU held a reception towards the end of September, marking both the 77th anniversary of the PRC's founding and 55 years of China-Belgium diplomatic ties.
"Today, Belgium-China relations are broad and positive. We have also noted China's remarkable achievements in innovation. I wish the Chinese people a happy National Day," said David Clarinval, Belgium's deputy prime minister as well as the Minister of Employment, Economy and Agriculture.
At a recent National Day reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Brazil, attendees commended the achievements China has made in its path to modernization.
"This year marks the 52nd anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Witnessing China's achievements over this period gives me a sense of joy and pride, and has left me truly amazed. It has been a tremendous leap forward. I congratulate the Chinese people and the Chinese government," said Susan Kleebank, Brazil's deputy minister of Foreign Affairs.
At another National Day reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, attendees from various sectors exchanged views on the bilateral friendship between the two countries and jointly voiced their wish for lasting and ever-stronger Nigeria-China ties.
Chinese missions around world stage events to mark PRC's 77th founding anniversary
