An aerial photo of the Dayuandu Navigation and Hydropower Project (Photo/Su Zhengrong)

Hunan Province set up fishpasses as "corridor of life" for fish in the navigation projects. Such fishpasses have been constructed in the Changsha, Zhuzhou, Dayuandu, Tugutang, and Jinweizhou navigation and hydropower projects on the Xiangjiang River trunk line, and are planned or under construction in some other projects.

An aerial photo of the Dayuandu Navigation and Hydropower Project (Photo/Su Zhengrong)

A fishpass with latticed interior structure was set up beside the navigation pass at the Tugutang and Dayuandu navigation and hydropower projects in Hengyang City, connecting the upper and lower reaches of the Xiangjiang River. Numerous water birds hovered around to catch fish. 

Some fish migrate to lay eggs in the Xiangjiang River. Accordingly, the fishpasses keep drawing off water between March and July every year to enable the migrant fish to pass, while intermittently drawing off water in other periods. The passing fish can take a break in the lattices inside the fishpasses.

A photo of the Tugutang Navigation and Hydropower Project (Photo/Su Zhengrong)

The fishpass is built to protect fish. The separated passes for watercrafts and fish can effectively reduce the impact of navigation to the fish, thus it is significant for environmental protection and fish reproduction, said a person in charge of the Tugutang project.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: Xinhua