2018年CRI Yangtze River says no to finless porpoise extinction

 

The Yangtze River is a major habitant for finless¹ porpoise², an aquatic³ marine⁴ mammal close to dolphins.

However due to increasing human activities the number of the animal has been declining in China over the years.

Provinces along the Yangtze River have been aware of the situation and taken action to prevent the extinction⁵ of the already endangered species

CRI's Yang Guang earlier visited one of the porpoise protection zones in Anhui Province and brings us more details.

Finless porpoise are a second-class protected animal species in China and are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Their number in China is even lower than that of the Panda.

According to the latest statistics, there are barely over 1000 finless porpoises⁶ in the Yangtze River. In 1991, the number was still around 2700.

The finless porpoise is a freshwater species and has a high degree of interaction with humans. This often puts the animal at risk.

Hu Shibin, president of Anhui Yangtze River Protection Association, says there are several factors leading to the earlier reduction of the finless porpoise in China.

"First the ships on the river have become bigger in size, disturbing underwater finless porpoises. Electric fishing and illegal fishing gears, for example jig⁷ and seine are another factor. Water conservancy projects are also harmful. Finless porpoises often seek food at shallow waters, however such construction always needs riverbeds to be dug deep, indirectly⁸ reducing the animal's food. River pollution as well as sand quarrying⁹ also affect finless porpoises as the animal is very sensitive, especially the babies."

At present more than 200 finless porpoises are living near Anqing, Anhui Province.

To protect the animal, the local government has set up a few specialized¹⁰ protection zones as well as affiliated¹¹ patrol teams to create a safe habitant for them.

Hu Shibin says the similar measures have been taken in other finless porpoise habitants nationwide and the animal's number is now steadily¹² growing.

"Yangtze finless porpoises are currently safe from extinction because protection is now ubiquitous; especially since June 2017, four porpoise patrol teams on the Yangtze River have been set up with the guidance from central authorities and the support of Yangtze ecological¹³ protection funds. Our Anqing patrol team is the first one to be built. The three others are in Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi Provinces. We assist fishery administrations to strengthen protection. We have conducted onsite conservation, observing the porpoise in their natural habitats."

Xijiang protection zone is typical among the many guarded natural habitats of finless porpoise in Anqing.

Currently there are 22 finless porpoises living in this river area which is nearly 10 kilometers long.

Zhou Jiebao is the captain of a patrol team that belongs to Xijiang protection zone.

"We patrol to prevent angling, electric fishing and seining to protect Yangtze finless porpoises in this area. Some injured porpoises are also put in here for treatment because otherwise in large water areas they would be very hard to discover and help. In the latter half of the year we also organize health examination for finless porpoises. For that period of time they will be gathered in a smaller area for the whole body screening. This year in May we also had the first baby porpoise born in our protection zone."

Zhou added that Xijiang protection zone aims to have 50 finless porpoises in five years.

1 finless   

adj.无鳍的

参考例句：

• The Finless Porpoise is another resident marine mammal species. 此外，江豚是另一种在本港海域栖居的海洋哺乳类动物。 来自互联网
• The finless eel ate the earthworm in front in one bite. 黄鳝一口就把眼前的蛐蟮吃掉了。 来自互联网

2 porpoise   

n.鼠海豚

参考例句：

• What is the difference between a dolphin and porpoise?海豚和和鼠海豚有什么区别？
• Mexico strives to save endangered porpoise.墨西哥努力拯救濒危的鼠海豚。

3 aquatic   

adj.水生的，水栖的

参考例句：

• Aquatic sports include swimming and rowing.水上运动包括游泳和划船。
• We visited an aquatic city in Italy.我们在意大利访问过一个水上城市。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

6 porpoises   

n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句

7 jig   

n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳

参考例句：

• I went mad with joy and danced a little jig.我欣喜若狂，跳了几步吉格舞。
• He piped a jig so that we could dance.他用笛子吹奏格舞曲好让我们跳舞。

8 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

9 quarrying   

v.采石；从采石场采得( quarry的现在分词 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石

参考例句：

• He spent much time in quarrying in old records. 他花了很多时间从旧记录中寻找资料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Township enterprises in trade, in commerce, mining, coking, quarrying, food service industry. 乡镇企业有商贸、采煤、炼焦、采石、饮食服务业。 来自互联网

10 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

11 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

12 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

13 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.