Recently, the whales frequently active in the waters near Weizhou Island in Beihai City, Guangxi have become "net celebrities", which are sought after by the majority of tourists, and they have also attracted some tourists to take speedboats to chase and watch without authorization, which has an impact on the lives of the whales.
To this end, the Management Committee of Weizhou Island Tourism Zone in Beihai City, Guangxi will carry out deployment, control and marking of key sea areas, and severely crack down on illegal whale watching behaviors, so as to discover, crack down, and investigate together.
In recent years, Weizhou Islanders and tourists have repeatedly discovered signs of whale activity in the waters, which has attracted widespread attention from domestic and foreign media.
The Management Committee of Weizhou Island Tourism District quickly invited relevant domestic research institutions to follow up relevant information, and through various channels at the first time, began to carry out scientific research investigations to clarify whale species, living habits, and marine environmental conditions for further research and protection , Use accumulated scientific basis.
According to the maritime scientific research conducted by experts from many domestic authoritative organizations, the whales found in this area are the first large-scale cetaceans living near the coast found in mainland China so far.
Cetaceans are the top predators of marine ecosystems, and they are also indicators of the health of marine ecosystems.
Whales live in the waters near Weizhou Island, indicating that the ecosystem of Weizhou Island is relatively healthy and the food chain is relatively rich, which is suitable for cetaceans to survive.
Although whales are currently living in a good condition in the North Sea, due to the great attention of tourists and citizens to whales, they are more likely to be injured than other marine animals. These potential man-made threats still cannot be ignored.
In response, the Management Committee of Weizhou Island Tourism Zone issued a notice to the public through the WeChat public account: The local government has not implemented any form of whale watching tour project.
At the same time, the "Weizhou Island Whale Protection and Maintenance Proposal for the Marine Ecological Environment" was issued in conjunction with the local marine and fishery administration departments, calling on residents, businesses and tourists on the island to cherish and protect whales together, and do not go out to sea to watch whales without authorization. Fishing boats should avoid the sea where whales appear, protect the safety of whales, and allow whale populations to thrive on Weizhou Island.
Beihai City has also organized relevant departments to continuously increase inspection and protection of the sea areas where whales live, strengthen special patrols and law enforcement in whale-infested areas, and persuade fishing boats that have entered this sea area without permission to leave.
It is reported that in order to better protect the ecological environment of Weizhou Island, Weizhou Island implements a total number of tourists on the island, 9,000 people/day in summer and 11,000 people/day in winter.
As early as 2018, the local government promulgated and implemented the "Regulations on the Environmental Protection of Weizhou Island in Beihai City", which included Weizhou Island, Xieyang Island and the 6 kilometers of their coastline into the scope of legislative protection to protect marine resources in nearby seas.
At the same time, the Beibu Gulf Cetacean Research and Protection Center, the Guangxi Aquatic Biology Joint Laboratory, and the Cetacean Research and Protection Station will be jointly established with multiple institutions to further increase the research and protection of aquatic life, especially large cetaceans, on Weizhou Island.
Chen Yan