Azerbaijan Fish Farm released 100.000 Sturgeon and 20.000 Salmon into the Caspian Sea

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To celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed annually on May 22, Azerbaijan Fish Farm, a subsidiary of LU-MUN Holding, carried out a large-scale environmental initiative in the Neftchala region: 100,000 sturgeon and 20,000 Caspian Salmon were released into the Caspian Sea.

The ceremonial event brought together more than 170 distinguished guests — including representatives of government ministries, international organizations, foreign embassies, NGOs, as well as leading experts in aquaculture and sustainable development. Among the attendees were Minister of Agriculture Majnun Mammadov, representatives of the Ministry of Ecology, and key corporate partners.

This initiative reaffirmed Azerbaijan Fish Farm’s strong commitment to preserving the Caspian Sea ecosystem and restoring endangered fish populations. This year’s event was made possible with the support of strategic partners: Azerbaijan Poultry Company (Mercan), Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), SOCAR, Wings (Sakura), Gilan Holding, Azvarvara, CMS Properties, and Alltech Coppens — companies actively advancing ESG practices and sustainable development projects.

In his address, Minister of Agriculture Majnun Mammadov noted that in December 2024, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree establishing the National Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture — a landmark step towards the protection of rare species in the Caspian basin and the restoration of biodiversity at a national level.

Head of the Executive Authority of Neftchala District, Mirhasan Seyidov, emphasized that environmental stewardship has long been a national priority, rooted in the legacy of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. He highlighted that this course of action continues to evolve under President Ilham Aliyev’s leadership, reaching new levels of scale and impact.

Chairman of the Management Board of LU-MUN Holding, Emil Mammadsadikhov, underscored that the fish release into the Caspian Sea directly reflects the President’s environmental agenda. He stressed that such initiatives are an integral part of national priorities and a clear example of how the business community can actively support the country’s goals in nature conservation and ecosystem recovery.

Director of Azerbaijan Fish Farm, Nurlan Abdinov, stated that the company’s long-term goal is to gradually increase the number of fish released into nature to one million. “This is not a one-time campaign — it’s an essential part of our daily operations. We are consistently implementing the principles of sustainable aquaculture aimed at restoring natural populations,” he said.

Fidan Farzaliyeva, Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan Airlines, added that biodiversity preservation is one of the core pillars of the airline’s ESG strategy. “For us, sustainability means not only reducing emissions, but also supporting natural ecosystems, protecting habitats, and backing projects inspired by nature itself,” she said.

Following the official ceremony, guests visited the Kura Experimental Sturgeon Breeding Facility, where they saw firsthand how modern technologies are helping the company protect endangered species and develop sustainable aquaculture.

The Brief A driver fled a Beverly Hills police officer who tried to stop them for a suspected drug deal late Wednesday. A chase ensued before ending with a crash in Detroit. Police said the vehicle was stolen, and narcotics were found in the vehicle.

A police chase that started with a suspected drug deal Wednesday night in Beverly Hills ended with a crash in Detroit.

According to the Beverly Hills Department of Public Safety, an officer noticed what they believed to be a narcotics sale near 13 Mile and Southfield Road around 11:55 p.m. and tried to stop the the driver. The driver fled, leading to a chase that went through Southfield and into Detroit, where they hit an innocent driver, a 32-year-old man, at the intersection of James Couzens and McNichols.

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The innocent driver and all four people who were in the suspect vehicle were injured in the collision, police said. Their conditions were unknown Thursday morning.

Police said the suspect vehicle was confirmed to be stolen from Ferndale, and narcotics were found in the vehicle.

GUIYANG — The video footage was simple but extraordinary — a tiny, half-translucent grey larva, no bigger than a grain of rice, wriggled out of its egg casing in the shallow waters of the Chishui River in Southwest China’s Guizhou province.

To an untrained eye, it might have looked like just another fish hatching. But for the team of scientists watching anxiously, this fragile creature represented something far greater: the first successful natural reproduction of the critically endangered Yangtze sturgeon in the wild in over two decades.

This breakthrough was the culmination of years of painstaking efforts by researchers from the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute of the China Three Gorges Corporation, and other institutions, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Their ultimate goal is to revive a species on the brink of extinction.

The Yangtze sturgeon, a nationally protected first-class animal, was once a vital part of the river’s ecosystem. However, by the early 2000s, water pollution, overfishing and other factors had pushed it to the edge. In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared the species extinct in the wild. The last known natural reproduction occurred in 2000.

Yet, scientists refused to give up. They spent years developing techniques to restore the sturgeon’s spawning grounds. They experimented with reconstructing water flow patterns and riverbed conditions, first in controlled environments, then in a side branch of the Yangtze River in Jiang’an county in Sichuan province, in 2023 and 2024.

“Due to the lack of historical data, at first we didn’t know what environmental conditions were needed for the reproduction of the Yangtze sturgeon. However, after repeated experiments, this problem has been basically solved,” said Liu Huanzhang, an IHB researcher whose study focuses on fish conservation biology.

Those small successes gave them hope — but the real test would be whether the fish could reproduce in a completely natural setting, since no hatched larvae had been found in these experiments. Their eyes turned to the Chishui River, one of the tributaries of the upper Yangtze. Unlike much of the mainstream of the Yangtze, the Chishui is relatively untouched by industrial development and remains undammed in its mainstream.

In early 2025, the team began its most ambitious project. At a site near Chishui city, they meticulously reshaped a stretch of the riverbed, using drones, sonar and hydrological modeling to recreate the exact conditions sturgeons need for spawning.

“We dug channels to mimic natural currents, carefully selected gravel and sand for the river bottom, and created an 8,000 square meter spawning ground tailored to the fish’s needs,” said Liu Fei, an associate researcher at the IHB.

On April 3, they released 20 adult sturgeons — 10 males and 10 females — into the modified habitat. Then came the waiting. For days, scientists monitored the fish around the clock using underwater cameras and sonar, watching for any sign of mating behavior.

On the night of April 12, the signals lit up — the sturgeons were gathering in the channels. By dawn, the team had spotted fertilized eggs and estimated that over 200,000 eggs were scattered in the spawning ground. Under microscopic analysis, researchers confirmed the eggs were developing normally.

On April 16, the first hatchlings emerged — tiny, wriggling proof that the Yangtze sturgeon could still reproduce in the wild.

The success of the test has proven that mature individuals in the artificially bred Yangtze sturgeon population have the ability to reproduce in the wild, said Liu Huanzhang. “This lays the foundation for the full restoration of the species’ natural reproduction in the river.”

Liu Fei said: “This isn’t just about saving one species. The sturgeon is like a giant in water, and adults may reach over one meter in length. Its survival reflects the health of the entire ecosystem. This success gives us a model for restoring other endangered aquatic species.”

The researchers said that they will continue to monitor the growth of the young sturgeons in their natural habitat while refining protection strategies.

Xinhua

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The Brief A jury awarded a pipefitter journeyman and HVAC technician who was injured in a refrigerant explosion more than $75 million. The explosion happened while he was working on an HVAC system at a Kroger store.

A man who suffered severe injuries when a defective refrigerant exploded while he worked at an Oakland County Kroger store will receive more than $75 million from the company.

The backstory:

Brian Mierendorf, 37, a pipefitter journeyman and HVAC technician, was working at the Bloomfield Township Kroger in 2020 when a defective refrigerant exploded. According to the law firm that represented him, Marko Law, Mierendorf suffered chemical burns and injection injuries from R22, a type of refrigerant now banned by the Environmental Protection Agency. He required 25 surgeries, and a large chunk of his hands had to be amputated as a result, his attorneys said.

According to Marko Law, Kroger could not provide any maintenance, repair, or inspection records at trial for the refrigeration system. Only a partial incident that was filed more than two years after the incident was allegedly provided.

After hearing the evidence, a jury ordered more than $75 million to Mierendorf.

What they’re saying:

“Kroger had a ticking time bomb in its store at Bloomfield Township, waiting to blow. Unfortunately, it blew up on Brian and he lost his hands trying to save other people in the store from toxic chemicals being sprayed out in the middle of the day in front of the meat department,” attorney Jon Markso said. “At trial, Kroger’s defense was to blame Brian for his heroic actions. The verdict sends a clear message to Kroger that Brian’s actions should be commended, and that Brian literally gave up his hands in the line of duty at the expense of himself and his family is priceless.”

The Brief A drunk driver who left the scene of a Troy crash had a BAC more than four times the legal limit. It is the third time the man has been charged with operating while intoxicated, police said.

A driver with a blood alcohol content level more than four times the legal limit was arrested after leaving a Troy crash on foot last week, police said.

Officers were called to Garry Drive near John R just after 12:20 p.m. on reports of a hit-and-run crash with the suspect walking through backyards in the area while a witness followed him. When police arrived, they found a 43-year-old Troy man who smelled like alcohol.

The suspect was taken to the Troy jail, where he submitted to a chemical breath test with results of .307 and .325. Driving with a BAC of .08 or greater is illegal in Michigan.

He is now facing charges of third-offense operating while intoxicated and failure to stop after a collision.