[Explanation] The 2022 Yangtze finless porpoise scientific expedition will start on September 19.
This survey is the fourth scientific survey of finless porpoises in the entire Yangtze River basin after 2006, 2012 and 2017. It is also the first systematic survey of river basin species after the implementation of a comprehensive ban on fishing in the Yangtze River and the promulgation and implementation of the Yangtze River Protection Law of the People's Republic of China.
[Explanation] This scientific expedition was organized by the Yangtze River Basin Fisheries Supervision and Administration Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, with the participation of the fishery authorities of the 6 provinces (cities) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, relevant scientific research institutes and social organizations.
The investigation covers the waters of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake and some tributaries of the Yangtze River where the Yangtze finless porpoise is distributed. More than 120 expedition team members and more than 20 fishery administration boats were carried out simultaneously.
[Concurrent] Wang Ding, researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Since the Yangtze finless porpoise is at the top of the food chain, its living status actually represents the health of the entire Yangtze River and aquatic biodiversity, that is to say, it represents the ecological health of the Yangtze River. In this sense, protecting the Yangtze finless porpoise It is to protect the Yangtze River.
[Explanation] The reporter learned from the launching ceremony that more than ten ships and nearly 100 people from Hubei participated in this scientific expedition. The scientific expedition ranged from Yichang, the main stream of the Yangtze River, to Hukou, Jiangxi, the lower section of Xinglongba of the Han River, and some tributaries, Jiajiang, For the first time, the Han River was included in the scientific research scope of Shazhou.
[Concurrent] Wang Ding, researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
In fact, historically, the Han River is also the habitat of the Yangtze finless porpoise, but in the past few years, due to the rapid development of economic activities, the Yangtze finless porpoise has been greatly disturbed by human activities, so many places have disappeared, but in recent years , I also saw some Yangtze finless porpoises in the Han River, so this time we will include the Han River.
[Explanation] In addition to conventional visual and passive acoustic methods, the scientific expedition will also use automatic image assistance systems, water environment sampling and other means to conduct sampling, so as to more accurately investigate the distribution of finless porpoise populations and habitat conditions.
[Concurrent] Wang Ding, researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The first is the population of the Yangtze finless porpoise, its distribution, the status of its habitat, and the impact of some human activities, including that we will monitor water quality and various aspects, and the content of the investigation is quite rich.
[Explanation] The Yangtze finless porpoise is a national first-level key protected wild animal in China. It belongs to the unique freshwater cetaceans of the Yangtze River and is an important indicator species for evaluating the status of the Yangtze River ecosystem.
The 2017 Yangtze finless porpoise ecological scientific investigation results show that its population is about 1,012, and its status is critically endangered.
Reporter Zou Hao reports from Wuhan, Hubei
Responsible editor: [Li Ji]