Author 丨 Zhang Qingdan
Chinese White Dolphin Image source: Li Songhai
Marine mammals are the most intelligent and mysterious animals in the ocean, and they are also indispensable "members" of the marine ecosystem, with high ecological and conservation biological value.
In recent years, marine mammals such as camel dolphins have attracted more and more attention from countries around the world, and for various reasons, the species is suffering from survival challenges and urgently needs human "help".
The family is divided into four species, namely Atlantic camel dolphins, Indian Ocean camel dolphins, Indo-Pacific camel dolphins and Australian camel dolphins, which are widely distributed in the waters along the coasts of the Eastern Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean. All four species are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and in the IUCN Red List, Atlantic camel dolphins are listed as critically endangered, Indian ocean camel dolphins are endangered species, and Indo-Pacific camel dolphins and Australian camel dolphins are vulnerable species.
Among them, Indo-Pacific camel dolphins are distributed along the southeast coast of China, mainly distributed in the Pearl River Estuary, Zhanjiang Leizhou Bay, the southwest sea of Hainan Island, Sanniang Bay in Guangxi and the two shores of the Taiwan Strait, which are national first-class protected animals in China. The Indo-Pacific camel dolphin was first found in the waters of the Pearl River estuary in China due to its unique body color changes, as well as the type specimen of this species, which is also known as the Chinese white dolphin in China.
The distribution of Chinese white dolphins and the main threats they face Image source: Li Songhai
On Sunday, Li Songhai, a researcher at the Institute of Deep-sea Sciences and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, published a newsletter article in the journal Science on the endangerment of camel dolphins. Combined with the relevant scientific research results and understanding of its research team, the paper proposes that camel dolphins such as the Chinese white dolphin are at risk of extinction, calls attention to the existential threats faced by these animals, and puts forward relevant conservation suggestions to prevent the extinction of such rare animals.
"Marine environment and marine ecological protection are the new needs of China's national interests and marine strategy. Protecting the marine ecological environment of the South China Sea and protecting the marine living resources of the South China Sea, including rare and endangered animal resources such as the Chinese white dolphin, are major national needs for safeguarding China's national interests and marine strategy. Li Songhai said in an interview with China Science News.
Li Songhai and his team have long been committed to the scientific research of marine mammals, and are currently mainly engaged in the research of marine mammal bioacoustics, ecology, evolution and conservation biology of marine mammals such as small toothed whales (including camel dolphins such as Chinese white dolphins and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises), deep diving and offshore cetaceans in the South China Sea and ASEAN waters.
A Chinese white dolphin jumping in the sea where human activities are very frequent Image source: Li Songhai
As the flagship animal in coastal and coastal waters, in recent years, camel dolphins have been threatened by fishery bycatch, ship collision, habitat degradation, environmental pollution, food shortages and other aspects of survival threats, facing the risk of extinction.
Studies have shown that scientists have detected high concentrations of organochlorine in the fat layer of camel dolphins in China and South Africa. And with the development of near-shore cities, a large number of coastal development projects, such as land reclamation, sand mining, marine resource exploitation, etc., have seriously damaged the coastal ecological environment and threatened the survival of camel dolphins.
Although some sea areas and some countries (including China) have adopted certain protection measures, they have not achieved good conservation results, and the trend of declining populations has not been alleviated.
"At present, scientists and conservation workers must thoroughly assess and understand the conservation status and threats faced by different species, different subspecies and different populations as soon as possible." Li Songhai said.
He suggested that Governments, including my own, need to take urgent measures to support broad and substantial domestic and international cooperation to implement relevant conservation actions, such as helping coastal fishers to broaden their livelihoods, in order to reduce their dependence on offshore fisheries, thereby reducing the impact and threat to camel dolphins such as the Chinese white dolphin and their habitats, in order to halt the extinction of such rare animals.
Related thesis information: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/367/6484/1313.2