US spends millions of dollars to save endangered ancient fish species

Barrett Friesen, a bachelor of biology at the University of Utah, is working with colleagues to save humpback sharks, which have been severely reduced in numbers in recent times.

Humpback shark

The AP reports that the biggest threat to this species is the smallmouth bass, which are predators that migrate to the Colorado River: after the Glen Canyon hydroelectric dam was built, the waters inhabited. of smallmouth bass has been largely depleted, forcing them to find new places to live.

This migration has pushed the humpback shark, native to the Colorado River, to the brink of extinction.

In light of this situation, local authorities have spent millions to create a safe habitat for humpback sharks beneath the waters of Glen Canyon Dam, where they can partially control the movement. of smallmouth bass.

Even so, it is still possible that the smallmouth bass successfully penetrated the area created by the authorities, and the solution of releasing water from the hydroelectric dam has been considered.

However, this means they will have to "sacrifice" the production of electricity, and there will certainly be many objections.