Yuanjie Micro News: The Relationship Between Water Environmental Protection and Yangtze Finless Porpoise Conservation

Release Date:

2020-08-28 09:56

Source:

On July 16, Chairwoman Zhao Xiuying delivered a lecture in Yangzhou to more than 20 university students from across the country on the relationship between water environmental protection and finless porpoise conservation, engaging in an exchange with the students on the topic of Yangtze finless porpoise protection.

　　Using data, images, and videos, the lesson introduced students to knowledge about the Yangtze finless porpoise by covering its morphology, behavioral ecology, taxonomic status, current conservation status, and protective measures. Students actively engaged in discussion, learning that the Yangtze finless porpoise has existed on Earth for more than 25,000 years—five times longer than human history—and is the largest cetacean species in the Yangtze River. Today, only about 1,000 individuals remain in the middle and lower reaches of the river, making it an even rarer species than the giant panda. The students responded with great enthusiasm, sharing their thoughts on porpoise conservation.

　　The Future of the Yangtze Finless Porpoise

　　1. Current Status of the Aquatic Environment for Yangtze Finless Porpoise Survival

　　2. Policies Related to Water Pollution Prevention and Control

　　3. Water pollution prevention and control has achieved results under policy guidance.

　　4. Source-based cleaning technologies and pollution prevention and control achievements

　　Current Living Situation

　　The threats facing the Yangtze finless porpoise stem primarily from human activities. In the main stem of the Yangtze River, the high density and heavy traffic of shipping vessels generate noise and propeller-induced impacts that pose a significant threat to the species. In the Dongting Lake area, overfishing, indiscriminate fishing practices, the widespread use of illegal fishing gear, water pollution, and the construction of various water-control infrastructure further exacerbate these pressures. Notably, the extensive deployment of fixed gillnets in the lake during the low-water season occupies vast stretches of water surface. Ongoing human activities—such as the construction of water-control projects and water pollution—are intensifying, placing the Yangtze finless porpoise under the same existential threat as the baiji dolphin and leading to a precipitous decline in its wild population.

　　In 2013, it was listed as a Critically Endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and as an Appendix I endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Starting in April 2017, a scientific survey of the Yangtze finless porpoise in the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River was launched, with the study scheduled to last two years. On May 9, the Yangtze finless porpoise was upgraded to a National First-Class Protected Animal in China.

　　On July 24, 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced that the Yangtze finless porpoise population has dwindled to approximately 1,012 individuals—fewer than the giant panda—and is declining at a rate of 5% to 10% per year. Moreover, the extinction rate of the Yangtze finless porpoise around Dongting Lake is the fastest across the entire Yangtze River basin.

　　Why are finless porpoises declining?

　　1. Sudden Natural Disaster

　　2. Human Activities (Water Pollution)

　　Sudden-onset disaster

　　II. Policies Related to Water Pollution Prevention and Control

　　1. The Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People’s Republic of China was enacted in 1984 and subsequently amended twice, in 1996 and 2008.

　　2. “Action Plan for Water Pollution Prevention and Control” (commonly referred to as the “Ten Measures for Water”) – February 2015

　　3. “Plan for Water Pollution Prevention and Control in Key River Basins (2016–2020)”

　　4. “13th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of Urban Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Facilities Nationwide”

　　5. “Guiding Opinions on Promoting Sponge City Construction,” October 2015

　　6. Guidelines for the Remediation of Black and Odorous Urban Water Bodies

　　Five Major Relationships in the Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt

　　Accurately grasp the relationship between overall advancement and targeted breakthroughs, and comprehensively carry out ecological conservation and restoration efforts in the Yangtze River Basin.

　　Second, we must correctly balance ecological and environmental protection with economic development and explore new approaches that synergistically advance both ecological priority and green development.

　　Third, we must correctly grasp the relationship between overall planning and sustained, long-term efforts, and unswervingly see through a single master plan to the end.

　　Fourth, correctly grasp the relationship between dismantling old growth drivers and fostering new ones, and promote the development of a modernized economic system in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

　　Fifth, we must correctly balance our own development with collaborative development and strive to transform the Yangtze River Economic Belt into a highly efficient, organically integrated economic entity.

　　III. Achievements in Water Pollution Prevention and Control Driven by Policy