LHASA - Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region has launched a new survey of its fishery resources to better protect the fish species on the plateau.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Tibet is home to a high-altitude aquatic ecosystem like no other in the world and is often dubbed "Asia's water tower."

"The survey is of great significance in establishing a conservation mechanism for endangered fish species and those under the second-class national protection," said Li Shaomin, deputy director of the agriculture and rural affairs department of Tibet.

A large-scale survey on the fishery resources in Tibet, conducted by the former Ministry of Agriculture between 1992 and 1994, found that there were 71 species and subspecies of fish in the region.

In recent years, with the change in climatic conditions, the regional distribution, reserves and habitat of fishery resources in Tibet have changed, warranting a new comprehensive survey, according to the agriculture and rural affairs department of Tibet.