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Dolphin conservationists locked in seesaw struggle

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Dolphin conservationists have planned to bring freshwater porpoises in China's Yangtze River into a tributary of the Yangtze for protection of the endangered species. However, little progress has been made over the past four years as local authorities fear the plan might hold down local economy.

The Yangtze River Dolphin. [File photo]

According to a plan jointly created in 2007 by the Fishing Bureau of the city of Anqing's Agricultural Commission, the World Wide Fund (WWF) and the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Xijiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, will be designated as a reserve to accommodate relocated freshwater porpoises.

Estimated to number around 1,000 in total, the Yangtze River Dolphins have a 20-year lifespan and are listed as one of the world's 12 most endangered animals, said Yu Daoping, a professor with the Life Science Institute of the Anqing Normal School.

"If no effective moves are made to save them from environmental degradation caused by the construction of water conservancy projects and shipping routes, the species will go extinct within 15 years, " he warned.

Conservationists originally planned to bring the dolphins to the Xijiang River, which is under the jurisdiction of Haikou Township.

However, there has been virtually no progress made within the past four years, as the township refused to ratify the plan for fear that it might hamper the local economy, according to Zhou Jinyun, director of the Fishing Bureau of the city of Anqing's Agricultural Commission.

Wang Wenyou, executive deputy chief of Haikou Township, told Xinhua that the township government had planned to develop the waters and its surrounding regions into an ecological park.

Refusing to reveal more details, Wang said that the ecological park would involve an investment of 1.5 billion yuan (about 234.74 million U.S. dollars) in total.

Local residents are also not passionate about the plan. Li Qingzhong, a farmer from the township's village of Zhenjiang, said "if the Yangtze River Dolphins move in, we can no longer go fishing or swim in the river. Business development would also be limited."

Another villager surnamed Wang said "the Xijiang River is the source of our drinking water. Who knows if it would be damaged by the construction of a reserve?"

Echoing the public's views, Wang Wenyou said "we are not resisting the Yangtze River Dolphins, but facilitating the growth of our local economy is a pressing task for Haikou Township."

With a total population of 50,000, the small town raked in just 10 million yuan (about 1.56 million U.S. dollars) in fiscal revenues last year, Wang Wenyou said.

"......it is important to let the species survive. But from the stance of the township government, it is more important to raise the living standard of the residents," he said.

Only seven kinds of freshwater porpoises have been found in the world's tropical and sub-tropical rivers, according to a report issued last September by the WWF.

Many of the dolphins are struggling to survive, as they must contend with water pollution, heavy boat traffic, fishing, the construction of water conservancy projects and industrial development, the report said.

"In China, we have established seven Yangtze River Dolphin reserves so far. But the species remains on the decline due to the menaces of boat traffic and water conservancy construction," said Yu.

Wang Gende, a volunteer hired by the Anqing Yangtze River Dolphin Reserve to monitor the dolphins' activities, said that just a few years ago, he could spot dolphins over 200 times each year.

"I saw the dolphins less than 50 times during the first half of this year," said the 46-year-old man, a resident of the township's village of Linjiang.

"Relocation is a better way to remedy the situation, as the Xijiang River, with its rich aquatic resources, is a hard-to-find habitat for river dolphins, " said Yu.

In the 1990s, a state-level river dolphin reserve was established along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the city of Tongling in east China's Anhui Province. About 11 Yangtze River Dolphins are currently living in the reserve.

Chen Ran, an engineer from the Tongling Reserve Management Commission, attributed the impasse to changing economic situations.

"Twenty years ago, the city government allowed us to use the waters as a reserve for free. Now, all townships have treated economic development as their first and primary task. It's difficult for them to give away resources for free," he said.

"The key to breaking the lasting stalemate is to change the minds of the Haikou township government and its residents," said Yu.

Conservationists have made efforts to raise public awareness and attract the attention of the government. The WWF launched a poll on its official microblog to inspire people to join in lobbying for strengthened protection for the Yangtze River dolphins.

The measures proposed by the poll include upgrading the dolphins' protective status, urging people to become volunteers, reducing sewage discharges and urging the government to enforce laws regarding overfishing.

Volunteer Chu Chuanhui from the city of Tongling uses his spare time to stage campus drives for river dolphin protection.

"The functional extinction of White-Fin Dolphins in the Yangtze River many years ago has sounded an alarm regarding the river's ecosystem. We must rescue the Yangtze River Dolphins from encountering the same tragedy," said Chu.

White-Fin Dolphins, which lived in the river for over 25 million years, have not been seen in the river since 2006.