But the expansion of high-mountain agriculture has damaged the water and the soil, and pesticides are seeping into the river. This is the main reason why the species has been listed as endangered.
台灣「國寶魚」櫻花鉤吻鮭，雖是冰河遺蹟，族群只能根植於低溫、水質甲等的大甲溪上游；但高山農業拓墾破壞水土、農藥汙染河川，迫使它們族群日近黃昏，被列入瀕臨絕種名單。