Dolphins, Porpoises, and Whales - IUCN

The one in the oxbow at Shishou has been successfully
tested with finless porpoises (Fig. 24). Resettlement of
the fishing community along the banks of the oxbow will
be completed immediately upon release of baiji into the
reserve. Construction of the dikes across the channels
connecting the oxbow and the main river are scheduled
to be completed in 1994-1995. After the Nanjing meeting
in 1993, the authorities at Wuhan had decided to wait
for the dikes to be completed before removing the finless
porpoises from Shishou Reserve and replacing them with
baiji captured in the river. However, in view of the
extremely low numbers of baiji seen during the surveys in
late 1993 and early 1994, it has now been recommended
that the schedule for capturing baiji and introducing them
into the reserve be accelerated (Leatherwood 1994).
Further, until other suitable baiji reserves are developed, all
baiji that are live-captured in the river should be placed in
Shishou Reserve.
Further development of the Tongling Reserve should
follow the recommendations of the Nanjing Workshop
(Ellis et al. 1993), in particular the caution that baiji not
be introduced into the reserve unless and until (1) finless
Figure 24. It has been strongly recommended that facilities
developed primarily for the endangered baiji should first be used
to maintain finless porpoises, such as the one shown here. Baiji
should be introduced to aquaria and "semi-natural reserves" only
after it has been demonstrated that water quality, feeding, and
husbandry practices are satisfactory for keeping the porpoises
alive and In good health (Wuhan, China, June 1993).
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pxarpoises have been successfully maintained in the reserve
for at least one year and shown evidence of breeding there,
(2) water quality within the reserve has been certified as
acceptable, and (3) a reliable, long-term supply of fish of
high nutritional quality can be assured.
Project 8
Develop a captive-breeding program for the baiji
Even though captive breeding of cetaceans is far from routine
and is unlikely to result in net gains to the baiji population
in the foreseeable future, there is now considerable
momentum to capture baiji for two "oceanarium" facilities,
one at Tongling and another at Wuhan. It has been
strongly recommended that such facilities be fully tested
with captive finless porpoises and only then be stocked, at
least initially, with baiji that have been rehabilitated after
stranding or being taken accidentally in fishing gear. The
overall goal of baiji conservation efforts has been stated
to be the preservation of the species in the wild. "Seminatural
reserves" are seen as "half way houses" from
which, ideally, surplus animals will be used to restock the
natural, wild population. Captive-breeding efforts are
intended for the same purpose. Therefore, any captivebreeding
program should follow closely the recommendations
of the Nanjing Workshop (Ellis era/. 1993). And,
difficult as it might be, people involved in these programs
should be prepared to abandon captive-breeding efforts if
the costs to the wild populations exceed the benefits, in
terms of surplus stock for reintroduction and knowledge
that enhances breeding in the "semi-natural reserves."
Project 9
Monitor the populations of baiji in
"semi-natural reserves"
Once baiji have been introduced into a "semi-natural
reserve," it will become necessary to monitor closely
how they adapt and behave. The success of the "seminatural-reserve"
concept will be judged by how well the
animals survive and how regularly they reproduce. The
Shishou reserve is bordered by a ridge that is sufficiently
high to permit viewing across the entire reserve during
the low-water season and of at least the deep-water areas
year-round. Thus a shore-based program of observation
should be used to supplement a vessel-based program at
Shishou. The reserve at Tongling is so small that animals
in it can be easily monitored from shore. Results of these
monitoring programs (area use, social behavior, reproductive
activity, calf behavior, etc.) can be used in making
decisions about whether to continue and how to
modify the development of these (and other?) "semi-natural
reserves." It has been recommended that investigators
resist the temptation to capture and handle baiji
within these "semi-natural reserves" except in emergencies
affecting the animals' survival.