"Big Fish" Relics

　　Female, about 20 years old, 3.52 meters long and 160 kilograms

　　Appears in:

　　At 14:00 on January 24, 2003, at Fuxikou of the Yangtze River in Yibin, Sichuan

　　disappeared in:

　　In the early morning of January 30, 2003, the "Golden Cocktail" section of the Yangtze River in Jiang'an, Sichuan

　　On July 21, 2022, the Yangtze river white sturgeon, known as the "king of freshwater fish in China", was officially declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

　　Documentary records show that the last rescued Yangtze white sturgeon in the world appeared in Yibin, Sichuan, but after experts installed an ultrasonic tracker to release it in the Yangtze River, it disappeared... The IUCN declared the Yangtze River white sturgeon extinct When the news came, Mu Tianrong, one of the rescuers of the white sturgeon and the former director of the Yibin Fisheries and Fisheries Bureau, was so shocked that he was so sad that his voice choked: "It's like an old friend has left forever..."

　　He told reporters with some emotion that all living things, when they existed, people thought it was just a very ordinary thing.

It is only when it disappears from the earth that people realize that it is not just a fish, but a species, a representative of ecology.

This also tells human beings that it is really necessary to protect the natural ecology.

　　Catch "big fish" by accident

　　Encounter with the last Yangtze sturgeon

　　"I can't forget what it looked like for a lifetime"

　　The existing literature shows that the last time the Yangtze River white sturgeon appeared in the public eye was back in 2003.

　　Zhou Tao, captain of the Yangtze River sturgeon assisting patrol team in Yibin, Sichuan recalled that on the afternoon of January 24, 2003, Liu Longhua, a fisherman from Luolong Town, Yibin City, accidentally caught a white sturgeon at the mouth of Fuxi of the Yangtze River, and immediately reported it to the fishery department of the Municipal Water Affairs Bureau.

　　"The white sturgeon was injured and was sent to the waters of the Yangtze River in Baisha Bay for rescue." Zhou Tao said that at that time, the Yangtze River found that "the news of the white sturgeon spread like wildfire, and he was very excited when he heard it, and rode dozens of kilometers to the scene. "It is more than 3 meters long, it is very shocking, and I will never forget what it looks like in my life.

"

　　Mu Tianrong, the former director of Yibin Fisheries and Fisheries Bureau, was also one of the rescuers of the white sturgeon.

In 2003, he was in charge of "protecting rare fish in the Yangtze River".

　　According to his recollection, at 14:00 on January 24, 2003, he received shocking news: Liu Longhua, a fisherman from Luolong Township, caught an injured white sturgeon from the Yangtze River.

He immediately rushed to the scene by speedboat with the person in charge of the Fishery Administration Station in Cuiping District, Yibin.

He was stunned when the 3-meter-long white sturgeon appeared in front of him.

　　Afterwards, Mu Tianrong urgently reported to the higher authorities, and immediately contacted Dr. Wei Qiwei from the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, requesting experts to come to the scene for protection and rescue.

The rapid flow of water at the mouth of the Yangtze River Fuxi where the white sturgeon was found is not conducive to rescue.

According to expert opinion, the white sturgeon must be sent to the beach with gentle water flow.

　　He still remembered that eight strong men couldn't lift this white sturgeon, and the white sturgeon's delicate and smooth skin couldn't stand the grip of fingers.

Finally, people came up with a method: wrap the white sturgeon with pure cotton products for transfer.

　　Mu Tianrong took off the pure cotton clothes and trousers first and jumped into the river with the fishermen to rescue the white sturgeon.

The local people also took the initiative to bring blankets, cotton coats and quilts from their homes to wrap the white sturgeon.

In the end, the white sturgeon was successfully carried to the transport boat by the staff and fishermen.

　　Mu Tianrong remembered that after being transferred to the cage boat provided by fishermen in Baishawan of the Yangtze River, the white sturgeon was lethargic and his belly turned upside down, which was a danger signal that the fish was on the verge of dying.

He and the fishery administrators and fishermen took turns jumping into the water more than one meter deep, straightening the body of the white sturgeon and constantly adding oxygen to the water.

　　rescue battle

　　The most advanced instruments + advanced imported medicines

　　Experts from three places rushed to the front line of rescue

　　Mu Tianrong remembers that on the morning of January 25, 2003, Chen Zhengguo, director of the Office of the Yangtze River Fishery Resources Management Committee, and Zhang Zhongxiao, director of the Sichuan Fisheries Bureau, rushed to Yibin to take command; then the deputy mayors of Yibin Municipal People's Government Wen Guangyuan and Chen Huaye He rushed to the scene and instructed to "rescue the white sturgeon at all costs".

　　At the same time, a group of aquatic biology experts arrived in Yibin from Shanghai, Wuhan, and Chengdu respectively, bringing the most advanced equipment to rescue the white sturgeon, and a batch of advanced imported drugs were also transported from the Ministry of Agriculture through the air corridor.

For a time, people from all over the world threw themselves into the front line of rescuing the national treasure white sturgeon.

　　On January 26, 2003, an expert group headed by Wei Qiwei, a famous sturgeon expert from the China Fisheries Research Institute, conducted physical examination and treatment for the injured white sturgeon.

They led the white sturgeon to a temporary "operating bed" made of bamboo and canvas, so that one-third of its body was exposed to the surface of the water, and light anesthesia was applied.

Mu Tianrong remembered that a total of 24 stitches were sutured in the two wounds of the injured white sturgeon. Fortunately, the injury was in the crease and was not fatal.

　　The rescued white sturgeon was a female, about 20 years old, 3.52 meters long and weighed about 160 kilograms. It was the largest live white sturgeon ever captured by humans and was very precious.

　　The "big fish" is gone

　　Return and swim back to leave a beautiful waterline

　　The tracking ship hit a rock and lost its sonar signal

　　At 15:30 on January 27, 2003, along the Yangtze River in Baisha Bay, Yibin, Dr. Wei Qiwei and other experts got into the cage boat, gave the white sturgeon the last shot, and gently put it into the Yangtze River.

The white sturgeon quickly swam downstream for tens of meters and then suddenly turned back and swam upstream, drawing a clear and beautiful waterline.

　　At 5:00 am on January 30, 2003, the tracking boat followed the "footprint" of the white sturgeon and tracked the "Jinjiwei" section of the river near the junction of Yibin Nanxi and Jiang'an County.

Unfortunately, the tracking ship hit a rock and the propeller was damaged, making it unable to continue sailing. Since then, no white sturgeon sonar signal has been found.

　　The last Yangtze white sturgeon disappeared into the vast Yangtze River...

　　Dialogue with Mu Tianrong, the rescuer of "The Last White Sturgeon":

　　It is not just a fish but a representative of a species and ecology

　　Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News: How did you feel when you heard that the IUCN announced the extinction of the Yangtze river white sturgeon?

　　Mu Tianrong: Is it true?

Is it really gone?

Alas... a species is gone like this, and I feel very uncomfortable.

(Reconfirmed) It was announced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature?

The one that was rescued back then was the last one in the world?

　　Many people think that it is just a fish. Only when it disappears from the earth will people realize that it is a species and a representative of ecology. It will be difficult to form such a species for hundreds of millions of years in the future. Pity!

　　When I heard the news (of the extinction of the white sturgeon), I felt, "Did we not protect them well?" It was like a good friend who has passed away (passed away).

(voice choked, paused for a few seconds and asked the reporter) Why is there no more?

　　Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News: You were the first person to rescue the white sturgeon back then. Tell me about the details of the rescue at that time.

　　Mu Tianrong: At that time, I had just been discharged from the hospital with a lumbar vertebra and sacral fall. The staff of the Fisheries Administration called me and said that someone reported that a white sturgeon had been caught by mistake.

I hurriedly took people to the Fuxikou of the Yangtze River in a speedboat.

When I went to the scene, I saw that it was really a white sturgeon from the Yangtze River.

It was trapped next to a fishing boat and suffered injuries to its head and tail fins.

It is very large, like a cow, and the boat will sway if it moves a little.

I immediately called the city and the province to report.

Then, the provincial department reported to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Finally, we received an order to guard it 24 hours a day, and immediately took measures to rescue it.

　　Since the site was full of rocks and standing water, it was inconvenient for rescue. We organized people to carry it to a boat with water by hand, and then transported it to the waters of Baisha Bay near Yibin City, and put it in the cage provided by the fishermen.

The next morning, the superior leaders and experts arrived at the scene to rescue the white sturgeon.

We witnessed the entire rescue process and participated in the formulation of the rescue plan.

　　The second day was sutured, and the third day was observed, its spirit improved, and the river was released that day.

After putting it down, it went upstream and swam a hundred or two hundred meters. It turned back and seemed to be reluctant to part...

　　Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News: Do you have any other suggestions for protecting fish?

　　Mu Tianrong: In the past, a fishing ban was established, and fishing was banned from February to April. After the release, the fishing was still intensive. The current "ten-year ban" measures are very effective. Increased punishment, effectively deterred criminals.

　　I have been following the "10-year arrest ban" since its implementation until now.

I am very pleased that the ban on fishing has achieved good results, sand digging and quarrying have also been regulated, and electric fish, fried fish and other behaviors have become less and less.

　　After I retire, if I find someone fishing, I will go down and tell them about the policy and let him put away the fishing rod.

Many citizens saw the fishermen, they thought I hadn't retired yet, and they would tell me.

Everyone's consciousness has reached a new level.

　　I hope that the protection of the ecological environment can be included in primary and secondary education, and the rule of law can be widely publicized.

　　I'm sorry, I heard you say that the white sturgeon is gone and extinct, I really can't speak for a long time, I don't know what to say in my heart, it's very uncomfortable...

　　Chengdu Commercial Daily-Red Star News reporter Luo Min Yuan Wei