The Yangtze finless porpoise population has historically stopped falling and rebounded, but the critically endangered remains unchanged

(Downstream of Gezhouba in the Yichang section of the Yangtze River, finless porpoises chase and frolic in the river.) Liu Shusong/Photo)

On February 28, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced the results of the 2022 Yangtze finless porpoise scientific expedition in the whole basin: the current population of the Yangtze finless porpoise is about 1,249, including about 595 in the main stream of the Yangtze River, about 492 in Poyang Lake and about 162 in Dongting Lake. On March 1, the scientific research team of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the Institute of Aquatic Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences), as the technical support team of the Yangtze finless porpoise scientific expedition, introduced to China Science News that this is the first time that the population of the Yangtze finless porpoise has stopped falling and rebounded since monitoring records began.

The water of the Yangtze River is a good "dolphin" prophet

Why is the change in the Yangtze finless porpoise population so important? Wang Ding, researcher of the Institute of Aquatic Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chairman of the Wuhan Baiji Dolphin Protection Foundation, introduced that the Yangtze finless porpoise is a national first-class key protected wild animal, a freshwater cetacean endemic to the Yangtze River, and is known as the "giant panda in the water", with high requirements for the water environment; The Yangtze finless porpoise is at the top of the entire aquatic animal food chain of the Yangtze River, and the survival status of the finless porpoise is the "display" of the ecological environment quality of the Yangtze River. It can be said that the water environment of the Yangtze River is the final decision on the number of finless porpoises.

In the past 40 years, the population of Yangtze finless porpoises has declined sharply. In the early 90s of the 20th century, there were about 3,600 finless porpoises in the Yangtze River, which plummeted to about 1,800 in 2006 and only about 1,045 in 2012. The data results of the three Yangtze River scientific expeditions have all dropped significantly, causing concern from all walks of life. Many scientists, including Wang Ding, worry that the finless porpoise will follow in the footsteps of the baiji dolphin.

In 2007, the baiji dolphin was declared "functionally extinct" in the wild. In 2018, IUCN updated the Red List of Threatened Species, which lists the Yangtze Baiji dolphin as "critically endangered"; On July 21, 2022, the complete extinction of the Yangtze paddlefish was declared. Known as the "goddess of the Yangtze River" and the finless porpoise known as the "smiling angel", both live in the Yangtze River basin and are endemic to China. "Just a little, the finless porpoise followed in the footsteps of the baiji dolphin. Fortunately, it caught up with the good times. Wang Ding introduced.

The magic of the "Great Protection of the Yangtze River"

In January 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed at the symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt that it is necessary to put the restoration of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River in an overwhelming position, and jointly grasp the great protection and not engage in large-scale development. "The general secretary's judgment has reached our hearts." Wang Ding introduced that since 2016, more than ten provinces and cities along the Yangtze River have coordinated to control pollution and restore the ecology, and the "protection of the Yangtze River" has brought visible changes.

"2022 is my third time participating in the Yangtze finless porpoise expedition, and compared to the previous two expeditions, we have seen a lot of gratifying changes this time." Mei Zhigang, associate researcher of the Institute of Aquatic Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that he had three intuitive feelings when he participated in the 2022 Yangtze River scientific expedition: first, the water of the Yangtze River has become clear, the shore has become green, and the once devastated shoreline has now become vibrant; Second, the range of activities of the Yangtze finless porpoise continues to expand, in the previous scientific expeditions, the 100 kilometers above the Wuhan river section was a blank area for the distribution of finless porpoises, but on the first day of the scientific expedition in 2022, scientists observed the finless porpoise in the Wuhan river section; Third, the expedition members were delighted to find many "mother and child dolphins". "In September, the baby finless porpoise was just born, with my mother, the mother and child porpoise are particularly obvious, and when they see the mother and child porpoise, everyone sees hope, and I believe that there will be more and more finless porpoises in the future." Mei Zhigang said.

From over-exploiting the Yangtze River to "jointly grasping large-scale protection and not engaging in large-scale development", Xi Jinping's Ecological Civilization Thought is profoundly changing the ecological landscape of the Yangtze River, and is also quietly changing the living environment of the Yangtze River porpoise - the results of the 2022 Yangtze River scientific expedition show that the number of Yangtze finless porpoises has achieved a historic stop and rebound.

How to keep the "Smiling Angel"

"1249, this is an encouraging number, which proves that the living environment of the finless porpoise has greatly improved, but the population of the Yangtze finless porpoise is still small, the critically endangered status has not changed, and we still face many challenges." Wang Ding said frankly.

Hao Yujiang, associate researcher of the Institute of Aquatic Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that at present, the habitat of finless porpoises is mainly facing threats such as clear water erosion, disorderly development of floodplains, shipping development and waterway improvement. He called for continuing to adhere to the protection of the Yangtze River, while strengthening the infrastructure of existing ex-situ reserves, improving the management level, and trying to release finless porpoises in ex-situ reserves into the Yangtze River to promote the rapid recovery of natural populations.

Researchers such as Mei Zhigang have called for further public participation. He said that in recent years, various provinces and cities along the river have not only issued relevant laws and regulations on the protection of the Yangtze River and taken active protection measures, but also established finless porpoise protection associations in many places. In the 2022 Yangtze River porpoise scientific expedition, the expedition team members obviously felt the support of civil forces in various places for the scientific expedition, and many protection organizations spontaneously cooperated and echoed the scientific expedition team to do a lot of work. In the future, increasing publicity and encouraging more people to participate in the conservation of finless porpoises will play a key role in retaining the "smiling angel".

It is gratifying to note that at present, the mechanism for coordinated management and protection of the Yangtze River by relevant state departments and provinces and municipalities along the river has gradually taken shape. Protecting finless porpoises, protecting biodiversity, and protecting the ecology of the Yangtze River have become the consensus of most people. In scientific research, the protection of finless porpoises has gradually changed from "unpopular" to "hot". Wang Ding happily told China Science News: "Now that more and more people are engaged in this work, professional porpoise researchers are no longer as marginal and 'endangered' as they used to be." ”

Reporter's Notes

The return of the porpoise is just the beginning

The spring breeze and the south bank of the green river, the mountains and waters of the beautiful dolphin return. The historic decline and recovery of the finless porpoise population reflects the ecological improvement brought about by the protection of the Yangtze River and a profound change in the understanding of the concept of development.

Focusing only on development and not the environment once led to "Yangtze River disease", the functional extinction of baiji dolphins, and the severe challenges to the biodiversity of the Yangtze River were brought forward, and the lessons were vividly learned. From the "strong man breaking his wrist" relocated along the river, to the thunder bright sword of "illegal dock demolition"; From the embroidery efforts of restoring the shoreline along the river to the forethought of the "ten-year fishing ban", the hammering of "jointly grasping large-scale protection and not engaging in large-scale development" has brought about changes in ideology and understanding, development concepts, and ecological quality, which is of great and far-reaching significance.

It should also be noted that in some places, there are voices such as "sparing no effort to grasp whether the protection value is worthwhile", "it is necessary to eat if we want ecology", and "it is okay to protect the ecology, but it cannot be done". It must be made clear that the protection of the Yangtze River has just begun, is in the ascendant, and is far from reaching the ideal state. Ecological damage is easy and difficult to repair, and it is by no means possible overnight, and it must be worked hard for a long time and unremittingly grasped.

The gratifying results of "the historical decline and recovery of the finless porpoise population" are a strong proof of the scientific nature of the protection of the Yangtze River. The grim reality that "the status quo of extreme endangerment has not changed" is a profound reminder to continue to promote the protection of the Yangtze River. "Put the restoration of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River in an overwhelming position" is the long-term policy of the country, continue to maintain the strategic determination of "the present and a long period of time in the future", not be disturbed by noise, do not overdo the beginning, go down one road, we will definitely be able to achieve harmonious coexistence between man and the Yangtze River, and let the "smiling angel" live endlessly.