Chinnanews, Beijing, September 21 – The first Chinese sturgeon rescue center of 20 mu was put to use in Yichang, Hubei Province, with a total investment of 10 million yuan.Chinese sturgeons have existed for about 140 million years, and they are under national-class protection in China. Chinese sturgeons have a habit of upstream migration, and dwell along the coasts of China's eastern areas and migrate into rivers for propagation upon reaching sexual maturity. However, the closing of the Gezhouba Dam had prevented Chinese sturgeons from migrating. Thus two nature reserves were founded to protect them, one between the Gezhouba Dam and Lujiahe Shoal, the other near Shanghai.The rescue center is equipped with several pools for wounded sturgeons, healthy sturgeons and the fries. It will also serve as an important Chinese sturgeon research center.