The swordfish of the Yangtze River is believed to be extinct

One of the world's largest freshwater fish (adults can reach up to 7 meters) is believed to be extinct due to overfishing and the appearance of the Three Gorges Dam.

According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese scientists determined that the swordfish of the Yangtze River (also called Chinese spoon sturgeon) became extinct from 2005-2010. This statement was made based on a scientific study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment last week.

Duy Ky Vi, one of the study authors, said the conclusion was based on the assessment of a scientific council, under the supervision of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Shanghai in September.

"We respect IUCN's research model and experts, although we welcome this result with a heavy heart , " said Mr. Duy, who is from the Fisheries Science Academy in Wuhan City. , shared on 3/1.

No case of the Yangtze River swordfish has ever been recorded since 2003, and scientists think they are extinct.(Photo: South China Morning Post).

The last time we saw this giant fish - which is considered the king of freshwater fishes in China - has been since 2003. The species has been on the IUCN endangered list since 1996 when the number of they are declining due to overfishing and environmental degradation in the Yangtze - where they live.

IUCN experts say there has been no image data for this species since 2009.

The Yangtze River swordfish , whose scientific name is Psephurus gladius , is one of only two species of spoon spoon sturgeon left on Earth. The peak of this species was about 34-75 million years ago.

According to research, this species may have become technically extinct - that is, there are no longer enough minimum breeding pairs to maintain the breed - by 1993.

This is said to be the latest loss of the 6,300-kilometer ecosystem of the Yangtze. The two other species of the river, the Yangtze carp and the dolphin, are both technically extinct in 2015 and 2006. The two other prominent species are the non-fins dolphin and the river sturgeon. Yangzi is on the list of extremely endangered.

The Yangtze River system is home to more than 4,000 animals. But pollution, overcrowding in waterways and especially the huge Three Gorges Dam have caused the number of most to decline.

Duc Chan Khang, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, also told Xinhua that there was a "decline with all species" of rare animals.

Beijing has now taken tougher measures to protect the Yangtze River ecosystem, with a 10-year fishing ban issued from January 1, 2020.

The purpose of this ban is to prevent the decline of ecosystems and biodiversity on the Yangtze, Mr. Duc said.