China Bans Flesh-eating Piranha Fish

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, December 28, 2002

China Bans Flesh-eating Piranha Fish

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The flesh-eating piranha, dubbed the "fish-wolf" for its unruly tendency to bite everything that moves in a river, should be banned and totally eliminated from the country, China's fishery department ordered on Friday.

The piranha had been put on the banned list of imported aquatic species by Chinese customs, and its illegal importation would incur fines of at least 50 thousand yuan (6.25 thousand US dollars), said the department.

A source from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture said a campaign to eliminate piranhas had been carried out nationwide, and so far most had been wiped out from Chinese public and private aquatic markets.

Piranhas, a native of South American, were initially introducedfrom Brazil and Hong Kong as an attraction in Chinese ocean amusement parks, with the first introduction dating back to 1985 by the Dalian Ocean Amusement Park, said the ministry source.

Due to a lack of natural prey or restraints, the piranha could breed in large numbers in a very short period of time and destroy the ecological balance in China's lakes or rivers, said a Chinese fish expert.

It could be a real threat to the natural survival of fish in the Yellow River, the expert said in response to a recent report that piranha had arrived in the Yellow River.

China is a member of the convention on biological diversity and has also passed several domestic laws regulating the importation of alien plants and animals, but the laws do not specifically monitor the importation of piranha-like species that pose a huge potential threat to China's natural environment.

Questions?Comments? Click here

What Is Bush's Missile Defense System Intended for? ( 8 Messages)

Russia Warns US Against Improper Approach to DPRK's Nuclear Issue ( 8 Messages)

China Set Trade Growth Goal at 7 Percent in 2003 ( 5 Messages)

'Theory of China Exporting Deflation' Doesn't Conform to Fact: Commentary ( 6 Messages)

Zhu, Schroeder to be on Maiden Trip of China's First Maglev Train ( 11 Messages)