The conservation of river cetaceans in the Yangtze River

Baiji, or Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) and the Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) are two rare cetacean species endemic to the Yangtze River basin. The threats to both cetaceans include a collection of illegal fishing (electro-fishing and gillnets etc.), transportation, pollution and water constructions. Construction and the operation of the dam would lead to some negative impacts on Yangtze cetaceans by altering its habitats, including alternation of the hydrological feature, fluvial geomorphology, food resources (i.e. fish) and the way of utilization of the river by local communities. The China Three Gorges Corporation funded two conservation projects to remedy the impacts. The first is a monitoring program to investigate the abundance, distribution and trends of porpoises; and the second is to explore the possibility and feasibility of establishing the reservoir above the dam as habitats of the porpoise. As a collection of factors would also contribute a lot to the threats of cetaceans, consequently, the integrated river basin management would be proposed.