Recently, Zunyi in Guizhou Province was hit by heavy rain, causing tens of thousands of kilograms of sturgeon at a sturgeon farming base to be washed away, resulting in a loss exceeding one million yuan (RMB).
On June 24 at 3 p.m., the Zunyi Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow rainstorm warning (Level III): from 3 p.m. on June 24 to 8 a.m. on June 25, there would be locally heavy rain in places like Chishui, Xishui, Tongzi, Renhuai, Bozhou, Huichuan, Honghuagang, Suiyang, and Zhen’an, with individual towns experiencing heavy rain and the maximum accumulated rainfall reaching 70-120 millimeters.
According to a report by “Jímù News” on June 26, Mr. Chen, the operator of a farming base, and his father-in-law Mr. Shu, said that on the 24th, heavy rain fell in the area. Their sturgeon farming base located by a river in Zhima Town, Huichuan District of Zunyi City, was flooded by surging river water, causing tens of thousands of kilograms of sturgeon to be washed away.
Mr. Shu explained that they had about 80,000 kilograms of sturgeon. After the incident, kind-hearted villagers nearby helped retrieve one to two thousand kilograms, but the estimated loss still exceeded one million yuan.
He stated that they had been operating the farming base there for over ten years and had never experienced a similar incident before. He believed that this incident was related to the construction unit stacking stones near the upstream river, “The stones were piled up by the riverbank. The heavy rain washed the stones into the river, causing the riverbed to rise and water drainage to be blocked, resulting in flooding into the base.”
In response, a local village cadre stated that whether the losses suffered by the farming base were related to the stones piled by the upstream riverbank was still under investigation. “I suggest they first negotiate with the construction unit. If the negotiation is not successful, then resort to legal procedures.”
Personnel from the construction unit stated that the relevant situation had been reported to the leadership, “We’ll see how the leadership decides to handle it.”
Guizhou Province is a major province for sturgeon farming in China. According to the “2024 China Fishery Statistics Yearbook,” in 2023, sturgeon production in Guizhou Province reached 32,538 tons, ranking first in the country.