Setting up the zone at the lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region cost 4 million yuan (481,927 US dollars), which will be shared by the central government and the Xinjiang regional government.

The large carnivorous carp eats other kinds of fish. It grows fast and enjoys a long lifespan but lives only in rivers in desert areas. China listed it as a species under top government protection in 1988.

The fish was often seen in the Kongque River on the lower reaches of Bosten Lake in the 1950s. But it has seldom been seen in recent years. The fish had basically disappeared from the region, said a Chinese aquaculture expert.

Species researcher Xie Ziniu attributed the sharp reduction in the big-headed carp to the drying up of the Tarim River, which prevented the fish migrating there for spawning.

He called for artificial breeding measures and more concern overall for the survival and revival of this rare fish species.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2002)