Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises: 2002-2010 Conservation - IUCN

Figure 35. Qi Qi, the only baiji in captivity and one of the few surviving
representatives of this Critically Endangered species, died in his tank
at the Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology in 2002. Earlier hope that the
species might be rescued by an ex-situ breeding program has waned,
and much of the attention of Chinese scientists and conservationists
has shifted to the sympatric freshwater population of finless porpoises.
Photo: Steve Leatherwood, 7 March 1995.
6.1 Species
Baiji, or Yangtze river dolphin
History: The baiji, or Yangtze River dolphin, is the most
endangered cetacean (Figure 35). It is likely to become
extinct in the near future. Recommendations in the 1988–
1992 Cetacean Action Plan were that anthropogenic mortality
(by entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with
vessels) be reduced, baseline studies for a “semi-natural
reserve” at Shishou be carried out, the population be monitored,
and movements and population structure be investigated
through the use of tags and natural marks. The
baseline studies for the reserve were initiated, and population
surveys were carried out, although their reliability
remains in question (Ellis et al. 1993; Zhou et al. 1994;
Leatherwood and Reeves 1994). The studies of movements
were marginally successful and not conclusive. Extensive
surveys of the entire range between 1997 and 1999, using up
to 53 vessels, sighted only 21–23 dolphins, including one
calf (Zhang et al. 2001). Although some animals may have
been missed by the survey teams, it is very likely that less
than a hundred dolphins, and possibly only a few tens,
survive in the Yangtze. It is also noteworthy that the sighting
rate over the three years of surveys declined at an
annual rate of about 10% (Zhang et al. 2001).
In 1994, the CSG and others urged that all surviving
dolphins in the wild be brought into a “seminatural
reserve” to establish a captive breeding population,
but only after removal of finless porpoises
from the reserve (Zhou et al. 1994; Reeves and
Leatherwood 1994a). The Chinese government began
the capture and translocation program, but despite
extensive efforts, only one dolphin was
captured and placed in the reserve (together with
finless porpoises). This animal died in 1996 of
causes that remain unclear (Perrin 1999). Many
recent deaths of dolphins in the wild (5 of 12 documented
in the 1990s) have been attributed to electrofishing,
and this fishing method is now viewed as
the most important threat to the species’ survival
(Zhang et al. 2001). Previously, the main cause of
mortality was considered the use of a snagline fishing
gear called “rolling hooks.” Although at least
some types of “rolling hooks” are illegal, their use
continues within the limited remaining range of the
baiji. Efforts are underway to end electrofishing
within the baiji’s range (D. Wang, pers. comm.).
Remaining issues: The “semi-natural reserve”
initiative has apparently failed, although the concept
is still alive in conservation circles in China,
and progress has been made in improving the
reserve by replacement of net barriers with earthen
dams and elimination of fishing (Zhang et al.
2001). Extinction seems inevitable in the absence
of effective protection of the baiji in its wild habitat.
Conservation recommendations: Without a safe and efficient
relocation program that would place the few remaining
dolphins in a suitable “semi-natural reserve”, no
further research projects are recommended at the present
time. The baiji’s dire situation has been well documented
from a scientific standpoint, and its fate now depends entirely
upon management and conservation action that must
be taken by the people and government of China. Due to the
low density of dolphins in the river, large investments of
time and money in additional surveys to estimate abundance
are probably not warranted. Instead, the CSG recommends
that available resources be devoted to eliminating the
known threats to the survival of this species in its natural
habitat. The CSG specifically recommends that immediate
action be taken at the national, provincial, and local levels in
China to fully enforce the ban on the use of “rolling hooks”
and to end electrofishing. We recognize that, in parallel with
these bans, programs may be needed to improve the economic
outcomes of fishing (e.g., through support for alternative
fishing gear that poses no risk to the baiji). Even if
these efforts fail to prevent the baiji’s extinction, they are
warranted on behalf of the Yangtze population of finless
porpoises, which is also affected by these types of fishing.
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