Wuhan, China – Scientists in China are racing to safeguard the future of the Yangtze finless porpoise and Chinese sturgeon, two critically endangered species native to the country’s longest river, through intensive breeding and release programs. The efforts come as the Yangtze River, a vital waterway and economic artery, faces ongoing threats from pollution and heavy traffic.
Once plummeting in numbers, the finless porpoise population-a key indicator of the river’s overall health-has begun a slow recovery thanks to sweeping conservation measures. From over 2,500 in the 1990s, the population dwindled to just 1,012 in 2017. Today, numbers are around 1,300. These gains are largely attributed to a landmark 10-year fishing ban enacted in 2021, alongside factory relocations and stricter regulations on industrial runoff.
The urgency of these programs stems from a recent history of species loss in the Yangtze. Veteran researcher Wang Ding, who led a 2006 search for the baiji dolphin, recalls the grim outcome: despite an extensive nine-day search, no Baiji dolphins were found, leading to their declaration of functional extinction. “We feared that if this animal cannot survive in the Yangtze, the other species will, like dominoes, disappear one by one from the river,” Wang said.
Currently, a dozen Yangtze finless porpoises are being studied and bred at the Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan. Simultaneously, scientists are artificially breeding and releasing thousands of Chinese sturgeon into the river, hoping to rebuild the wild population of this ancient fish.
Despite the progress, researchers are advocating for continued and expanded protections, including stricter shipping regulations and a potential extension of the current 10-year fishing ban. The Yangtze River, handling over 4 billion metric tons (4.4 billion U.S.tons) of cargo in 2024 alone,remains a busy waterway,and balancing economic activity wiht ecological preservation is a continuing challenge.