China to Release Millions of Carp to Clean Taihu Lake

Feb. 25 – Local Chinese authorities are scheduled to release 20 million green and silver carp into Taihu Lake in the next few days to help rid it of algae.

Taihu Lake, bordering Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces, is China’s third largest freshwater lake. It is famous for being one of the most scenic lakes in the country before industrial and agricultural waste plagued the lake with algae and affected drinking water supply in 2007. Efforts to clean the lake began last year when 10 million carp were released into the lake.

The silver carp was chosen because of its ability to eat 50 kilograms of algae and plankton. Algae blooms spell havoc for freshwater lakes since it affects water quality and kills fish. Algae grow rapidly due to warm weather and untreated sewage waste with high levels of nitrogen.

The ongoing lake campaign is funded through the local government and public donations with a combined worth RMB8.6 million reports the AFP.

China has the distinction of having the highest foreign reserves in the world since instituting economic reforms 30 years ago although this rapid economic growth came with a price as local authorities disregarded environmental safety in exchange for investment.