When it was found in 1984 that this universally famous living fossil was on the verge of extinction, the Council for Cultural Planning and Development listed it under the "Cultural Heritage Preservation Act" as the equivalent of an historic artifact, thus giving the salmon protection under the law. At the same time, the Council of Agriculture initiated a program to bring the brook masu salmon back to its state of nature.
當名聞寰宇的活化石，被發現有滅種之虞，七十三年，文建會也將之列入「文化資產保存法」，等同於古蹟一樣的文化財，加以保護，同時，農委會也開始了櫻花鉤吻鮭的復育計畫。