Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 19
P OPULATION S TATUS AND C ONSERVATION OF B AIJI
AND THE Y ANGTZE F INLESS P ORPOISE
Ding Wang 1 and Xiujiang Zhao 2
1 Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
2 Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
A BSTRACT
The Yangtze River is home to two endemic cetaceans, the baiji or Yangtze River
dolphin ( Lipotes vexillifer ) and Yangtze finless porpoise ( Neophocaena phocaenoides
asiaeorientalis ). Both cetaceans suffered great abundance reduction and range
contraction during the last three decades. Baiji had at one point been abundant in the
river, but in 2006 was declared likely extinct because an extensive survey conducted by a
team of international scientists throughout baiji's geographical range failed to observe a
single baiji. The latest abundance estimate of the Yangtze finless porpoise, based on data
collected in the same survey is approximately 1,800 which indicates that one half of the
population has vanished since 1991. It is because the baiji and the Yangtze finless
porpoise share the same river and almost the same habitat, they also have been facing the
same kind of threats, i.e. over- and illegal fishing, heavy boat traffic, water constructions
and water pollution. We provide an analysis of the effectiveness of our conservation
methods over the last three decades regarding three measures (in situ, ex situ and captive
breeding). We also provide suggestions for the future protection of the baiji and Yangtze
finless porpoise including, forbidding fishing in the river or at least in the current
reserves, expansion of the current Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow Reserve and establishing new
similar ex situ reserves, and intensifying the captive breeding program.
Keywords: baiji, Lipotes vexillifer , Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides ,
population size, abundance, conservation, Yangtze River.
 wangd@ihb.ac.cn.
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