About two million fish fry, including those of the common carp, crucian carp, grass carp, and silver carp, were released into the Songhua River in Harbin City in China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province on Sunday morning. The exercise was the largest of its kind in 15 years.

According to sources with the Department of Fishery under the Municipal Agricultural Committee, the fish fry released included those of the common carp, crucian carp, grass carp, and silver carp.

Sturgeon fry were also released into the river for the first time. The sturgeon is a state second-class protected fish, the sources added.

The Songhua River was abundant in fish resources in the 1960s and 70s with some 79 categories of fish.

However, the industrial discharge, wastewater, prolonged dry seasons and uncontrolled fishing have drastically decreased fish varieties, the sources said.

To protect and restore fish resources in the river, Harbin has been releasing fish fry into the river since 1991, and has so far released a total of 57.44 million fish fry. 

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2005)