BRIEFING RIVER INT 2019 AT RISK FINLESS SCIENTIFIC NAME: NEOPHOCAENA ASIAEORIENTALIS ASIAEORIENTALIS Main © Justin Jin / WWF-US, inset © Xiaodong Sun / WWF-UK

HOW There are less than 2000 Yangtze finless MANY ARE remaining, of which 100 live in semi-natural reserves. HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? LEFT? This low number makes the critically endangered. Only by building and growing a The Yangtze only lives in the Yangtze River, strong global community of partners MORE will we be able to secure the long- the longest river in . At one point, this porpoise shared the ABOUT term future of river dolphins. THEM waters with the —a species while last seen in 2002, has been declared functionally extinct in 2006. The Yangtze WWF is excited to work with local and global partners on key projects finless porpoise is known for its intelligence, which is on par including: with that of a gorilla. They primarily feed on , , , and . Its scientific name is Neophocaena • Population monitoring and relocating asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis. the porpoise to safer parts of the river within their natural range;

WHY IS This species has a high degree of interaction with humans • working with local fishermen to THE which puts the finless porpoise at risk. Like other porpoises, adapt their livelihoods, and with the government to reduce fishing YANGTZE large numbers are killed by entanglement in gill nets and illegal activities within the river dolphins’ RIVER fishing. Land reclamation and infrastructure development has range; DOLPHIN degraded and fragmented the dolphins’ habitat, as do dredging, • creating a global movement to unite THREATENED? sand mining, , and navigation, causing vessel and inspire governments, businesses strikes and acoustic disturbance. and communities to secure the long-term future of river dolphins, WHAT In 2014, the Chinese government gave the Yangtze porpoise their rivers and the communities that IS WWF the strictest protections available by law. WWF works with the depend on them. DOING? government to relocate porpoises to safer parts of the river • working towards a signed Inter- where they have a better opportunity to thrive. We also help Governmental Declaration by 2021 to fishermen along the Yangtze River find feasible alternatives protect river dolphins worldwide. for income generation. The shift in livelihood helps develop the JOIN US. economy, stop overfishing and gives TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE communities a central role in THIS HAPPEN. saving an iconic species. • RIVER DOLPHINS AT RISK PANDA.ORG

MAHAKAM YANGTZE

YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE YANGTZE POPULATION 1,000 IRRAWADDY MAHAKAM MEKONG YANGTZE SOUTH ASIAN Indus Subspecies: POPULATION Approx. 1,800–1,900 INDUS IRRAWADDY GANGES ORINOCO AMAZON POPULATION 3,500–5,000 SOUTH ASIAN RIVER DOLPHIN Ganges Subspecies: INDUS For more information, please contact: Daphne Willems | WWF River Dolphin Initiative Lead | Mobile 6 19302529 +31 | E-mail: [email protected] | to gold mining gold to has been found in dolphins in both Asia and South America. embankments. In Asia, river dolphin habitat has decreased by 50-70% and in South America Asia by 10%. and South America are in the grips an of infrastructure explosion; example, for with hundreds dams of planned in the Amazon, and a potential giant dam in the lower Mekong (Sambor). Mining, agriculture and industrial development that degrade water quality. Deteriorating water quality to due agriculture runoff and industrial effluents is a serious threat dolphins to in Asia, while mercury poisoning due

• Registered Trademark. WWF, Avenue du Mont-Bland, Gland, 1196 Switzerland 22 +41 364 – Tel. 9111 Fax 22 +41 364 0332. For contact details and further information, please visit our international website at www.panda.org © 1986 Panda symbol WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature (Formerly World WildlifeFund) ® “WWF” is a WWF HOW WILL WE DELIVER THIS INITIATIVE? WWF has long-term river dolphin conservation experience, we knowbut that we cannot bend the curve alone. Our solution is mobilize to a powerful global community of partners secure to the future river of dolphins and the communities that depend healthy on and productive freshwater ecosystems.

POPULATION Each sub-population has <100 individuals IRRAWADDY DOLPHIN IRRAWADDY

panda.org TM . POPULATION Unknown le sib s AMAZON r po e h ORINOCO t ge POPULATION Unknown, but likely <5,000 individuals AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN Bolivian Subspecies: o t Working to sustain the natural Working world for people and wildlife RIVER DOLPHINS DISTRIBUTION DOLPHINS RIVER DOLPHIN POPULATION Unknown, but likely tens of thousands Unsustainable fishing and fishing-related activities. In Asia, (illegal) is the number cause one river of dolphin mortality. In South America, intentional killing riverof dolphins fish for bait meat and affects several thousand dolphins per . Infrastructure projects that affect habitat connectivity, including hydropower dams, irrigation barrages and including the Yangtze, Mekong, Indus, and Ganges and Indus, Asia in Mekong, Orinoco the and including Yangtze, the Amazon and basins South in America. There are however only five existing species river of River dolphins are found in 15 countries,River dolphins 15 in found are covering most ecologically world’s the some of diverse river basins, RIVER DOLPHINS AT RISK RIVER AT DOLPHINS dolphins left in the today world and they are all endangered or critically endangered WWF’s answer disrupt to and reverse this trend is to build a global movement, the River Dolphin Initiative, to secure the long-term future river of dolphins, their rivers and the communities that depend them. on Our vision is that we by will 2030, have stopped the decline of river dolphin populations in Asia and South America and will have restored and doubled the most threatened populations. There are three major global threats river to dolphins: • •