Nansha establishes research center to protect endangered 'aquatic panda'

Recently, the Guangzhou (Nansha) Chinese Bahaba Conservation and Research Center was inaugurated at the South China Agricultural University Fisheries Research Institute in Nansha.

Known as the "aquatic panda", the Chinese bahaba (Bahaba taipingensis) is a rare fish species endemic to China. Due to the high medicinal value of its swim bladder (fish maw), it has been overfished to the brink of extinction and is now classified as a first-class protected animal in China.

The Chinese bahaba. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_nanshafabu]

This year, Nansha district has bred over 3,500 juvenile Chinese bahaba. However, the species faces global conservation challenges, including a long reproductive cycle (over five years) and habitat degradation.

The newly established center will adopt a collaborative "government-industry-academia-research" approach to tackle key technical challenges, such as optimizing early-stage nutrition and establishing a germplasm resource bank. The goal is to develop a replicable conservation system within three years and conduct deep-sea aquaculture trials.

Artificial freshwater fish enhancement and releasing remains a crucial measure for population recovery. Nansha plans to expand release efforts in key habitats like the Pearl River Estuary while strengthening protected area management, cracking down on illegal trade, and raising public awareness to restore the species to its natural ecosystem.