East China’s Poyang Lake Supports Winter Survival of Endangered Yangtze Porpoises

As winter approaches, the dedicated ecological protection officers in Jiangxi Province, east China, are making sure that the rare Yangtze finless porpoises have enough to eat.

Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake, has entered its low-water period for the year. To support the critically endangered porpoises, the Poyang Lake Aquatic Life Protection Center in Yugan County released 18,000 live bait fish , including Chinese carp and crucian carp, into the porpoises' gathering area on Thursday.

\"We released about 300 kilograms of small fish, which are the finless porpoises' favorite food. We will replenish water and relocate the porpoises based on the hydrological situation to ensure their safe winter survival,\" said Wan Shengben, the office director of the Yugan County Poyang Lake Wetland Ecological Protection Center.

The Yangtze finless porpoises are found in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, including Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake. Listed as a wild animal under national first-class protection, they are vital indicators of the Yangtze ecosystem's health due to their sensitivity to environmental changes.

A 2022 scientific investigation showed that the population of these porpoises had grown to 1,249, with about 492 residing in Poyang Lake.

This autumn, Poyang Lake entered the dry season early, with water levels dropping to around 8 meters after falling below the extremely dry water level on October 9. This significantly reduced the habitat space for the porpoises.

Preliminary research indicates that during the dry season, the habitat of the endangered porpoises in Poyang Lake is gradually expanding towards the northern and southern waterways and tributaries of the Yangtze River, such as the Xinjiang River and Ganjiang River.

Reference(s):

Ensuring winter survival for rare porpoises in east China's lake

cgtn.com