Biodiversity and Conservation of Cetaceans in China(Part Two Natural History Studies)

概要

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China has territorial seas stretching to tropical, subtropical and temperate zones and extensive coastlines of about 18,000km. The different environment harbors rich cetacean fauna. Out of China, little is known of the biodiversity of cetaceans. There are at least 35 cetacean species in Chinese marine and riverine waters. Species diversity of cetaceans in China consists of more than 44% of cetaceans all over the world. Baiji dolphin is endemic to China and distributes only in Yangtze River. The finless porpoise inhabits both coastal waters and Yangtze River and its adjacent lakes. Biological diversity of cetaceans is threatened by habitat degradation and loss, bycatch, strandings, reduction of prey, boat traffic, pollution, coastal development and tourism. The Chinese government has enacted a series of laws and provisions to protect the wildlife. All the cetaceans are are listed either I or II of Chinese regulation for conservation and protected. Several natural reserves and sanctuaries at various levels are built to protect the wildlife including some cetaceans. However, little practical effort has been devoted to conserving the biological diversity of cetaceans because of the lack of adequate monitoring data. In this article the authors review the species and distributions of cetaceans, presents the threat factors and suggests some practicable measures to conserve the cetaceans.
国立科学博物館の論文