近期，长江水产研究所危起伟研究员领衔的研究团队发表关于白鲟的最新研究论文《Is there evidence that the Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) still survives in the upper Yangtze River? Concerns inferred from hydroacoustic and capture surveys, 2006–2008》在世界鲟鱼保护学会的官方学术刊物《Journal of Applied Ichthyology》发表，引起国际社会广泛关注。

　　该论文系统介绍了危起伟研究团队3年来在长江上游开展白鲟抢救性保护工作的一些初步成果。在中国长江三峡工程开发总公司的资助下，危起伟研究团队采用科学回声系统探测和试验性捕捞的方法，对金沙江新市镇至长江上游重庆约487.5公里的江段进行了4次大范围的白鲟资源普查，虽然试验性捕捞未能捕获到白鲟个体，但水声学探测却发现了9个白鲟疑似信号，且其中有2个信号极有可能就是白鲟。根据以上结果，论文认为目前白鲟已处于灭绝边缘，采取迅速有效的拯救措施已刻不容缓。

　　论文发表后，世界自然保护联盟(World Conservation Union，IUCN)鲟鱼专家组多次发函询问相关情况，英国BBC针对此论文还专门做了采访报道。

　　BBC新闻报道链接：

　　http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8269000/8269414.stm

　　论文摘要如下：

　　Is there evidence that the Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) still survives in the upper Yangtze River? Concerns inferred from hydroacoustic and capture surveys 2006-2008

　　By H. Zhang^1,2, Q. W. Wei^1,2,3, H. Du^2,3, L. Shen^2,3, Y. H. Li^1,2, Y. Zhao^1,2

　　1 College of Fishery, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

　　2 Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China

　　3 Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China

　　Corresponding author: Qiwei Wei, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, No. 41 Jianghan Road, Shashi District, Jingzhou City, Hubei Province 434000, P. R. China. Phone: +86-716-8128881, Fax: +86-716-8228212. E-mail: weiqw@yfi.ac.cn.

　　Summary

　　Due to the rarity of Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius), very little information is available on this species. In order to save the critically endangered giant species, four large-range hydroacoustic (surveys using an echo sounder with a 199 kHz, 6.8° split-beam transducer) and capture (by drift nets and setlines) surveys were conducted in the upper Yangtze River during 2006-2008. According to the target strength (TS) study on Polyodon spathula (Hale et al. 2003) and Love’s formula about TS-fish length relations (Love 1971), the four acoustic surveys identified nine potential targets (TS > ‒26.29 dB) of P. gladius, and two (TS > ‒22.40 dB) of them were very probably the fish. A total of 4,762 setlines, 111 anchored setlines and 950 drift net catches were conducted in which 472 fishes of various species were caught. However, we did not catch any single P. gladius. The gear used did not allow to capture quantitatively over rough ground with deep holes, perhaps allowing leave fish to effectively hide or escape. The hydro acoustic signals indicate this likely behaviour. In any case, it is strongly suggested that the fish is on the edge of extinction and we propose further rigid measures to save the remaining fear specimens.