River Dolphins Down for the Count, and Perhaps Out

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION: River Dolphins Down for the Count, and Perhaps Out -- Guo 314 (5807): 1860 -- Science

We have heard too many sad news and we are getting adapted to it.  However, the lost of Baiji again proved the importance of proper environmental management and the necessity of a lobby group for endangered wildlife.

The lost of Baiji is less a ecological problem than a decision-making problem.  It is a fact that Baiji is living in one of the world's busiest water channel.  The pollution and traffic disturbance were severe, but these causes along cannot kill it.  Similarly, fisherman given enough regulation cannot kill it.  The extinction of Baiji, is in fact the result of neglect.   Though listed as the country's Category I endangered wildlife, its name has not appeared on any media for too long.  Nobody really cared the survival of such aquatic mammals in a China's river.  As a result, no new policies concerning the conservation of Baiji has been made in recent years.  Lack of policies leads to deterioration of water quality, overfishing, river congestion and finally the extinction.

Giant Panda, which has far worse adaptability of environment, has survived in population-dense Sichuan province throughout the years.  The big difference is its much more extensive media coverage and powerful lobby groups (perhaps including the policy makers themselves).  It can be argued that terrestrial mammals are easier to save by artificial efforts than aquatic ones, but no favourable policies has given to Baiji in the last decade or so.

If there were powerful voices about the conservation of Baiji, the story will be different.  Therefore, with limited resources, the existence of lobby groups can determine the survival or extinction of certain species.  But of course this does not mean with enough lobby groups everything can be conserved.  Looking at the extinction of Baiji and the survival of Giant Panda, it is a serious problem all environmentalists should ask: which species should be conserved, and how?