IUCN Species Survival Commission Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia Edited by Randall R. Reeves, Brian D. Smith and Toshio Kasuya Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 23 Donors to the SSC Conservation Communications Programme and Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia The IUCN/Species Survival Commission is committed to communicate important species conservation information to natural resource managers, decision-makers and others whose actions affect the conservation of biodiversity. The SSC’s Action Plans, Occasional Papers, news magazine (Species), Membership Directory and other publications are supported by a wide variety of generous donors including: The Sultanate of Oman established the Peter Scott IUCN/SSC Action Plan Fund in 1990. The Fund supports Action Plan development and implementation; to date, more than 80 grants have been made from the Fund to Specialist Groups. As a result, the Action Plan Programme has progressed at an accelerated level and the network has grown and matured significantly. The SSC is grateful to the Sultanate of Oman for its confidence in and support for species conservation worldwide. The Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) provides significant in-kind and cash support to the SSC, including grants for special projects, editorial and design services, staff secondments and related support services. The mission of CZS is to help people develop a sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature. The Zoo carries out its mission by informing and inspiring 2,000,000 annual visitors, serving as a refuge for species threatened with extinction, developing scientific approaches to manage species successfully in zoos and the wild, and working with other zoos, agencies, and protected areas around the world to conserve habitats and wildlife. The Council of Agriculture (COA), Taiwan has awarded major grants to the SSC’s Wildlife Trade Programme and Conservation Communications Programme. This support has enabled SSC to continue its valuable technical advisory service to the Parties to CITES as well as to the larger global conservation community. Among other responsibilities, the COA is in charge of matters concerning the designation and management of nature reserves, conservation of wildlife and their habitats, conservation of natural landscapes, coordination of law enforcement efforts as well as promotion of conservation education, research and international cooperation. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) provides significant annual operating support to the SSC. WWF’s contribution supports the SSC’s minimal infrastructure and helps ensure that the voluntary network and Publications Programme are adequately supported. WWF aims to conserve nature and ecological processes by: (1) preserving genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity; (2) ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable both now and in the longer term; and (3) promoting actions to reduce pollution and the wasteful exploitation and consumption of resources and energy. WWF is one of the world’s largest independent conservation organizations with a network of National Organizations and Associates around the world and over 5.2 million regular supporters. WWF continues to be known as World Wildlife Fund in Canada and in the United States of America. The Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions (DETR), UK supports a Red List Officer post at the SSC Centre in Cambridge, UK, where the SSC Trade Programme staff are also located. Together with two other Government-funded agencies, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the DETR is also financing a specialist plants officer. Further support for the centre is being offered by two NGO members of IUCN: the World Wide Fund for Nature – UK, and Conservation International, US. The Center for Marine Conservation (CMC), with its headquarters in the US, provides valuable in-kind and funding support to the marine work of SSC. It is the major funder of the Marine Turtle Specialist Group, employs the MTSG Programme Officer, and administers funds on behalf of the Shark and Cetacean Specialist Groups. A CMC staff member acts as SSC staff liaison for the marine specialist groups and the marine focal point for SSC, and also supports the development of SSC’s work in the marine realm. CMC serves as the marine focal point for the IUCN/SSC Red List Programme. It is dedicated to protecting ocean environments and conserving the global abundance and diversity of marine life through science-based advocacy, research and public education. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is an international charity dedicated to the protection of cetaceans and their environment. It provides support for cetacean conservation and protection activities around the world. WDCS has a special interest in river cetaceans and collaborated with the SSC Cetacean Specialist Group in establishing the Asian River Dolphin Committee in 1992-3. Since then, WDCS has sponsored numerous field projects, workshops, and meetings, several of which are highlighted in this volume. For further information please refer to the WDCS website www.wdcs.org Ocean Park Conservation Foundation (OPCF) based at Ocean Park, Hong Kong, was founded in 1993 with the main purpose of contributing to the conservation of cetaceans and the preservation of cetacean habitat in Asia. Freshwater and coastal small cetaceans are the focus of OPCF’s activities. The Foundation has supported studies of river dolphins in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and China, and of finless porpoises in the Yangtze River. IUCN Species Survival Commission Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia Edited by Randall R. Reeves, Brian D. Smith and Toshio Kasuya Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 23 The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The opinions expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN. Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK Copyright: © 2000 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational and other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: R.R. Reeves, B.D. Smith, and T. Kasuya (eds.). (2000). Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. viii + 152 pp. ISBN: 2-8317-0513-4 Cover photo: Yangtze river dolphin, or baiji (Lipotes vexillifer). S. Leatherwood. Produced by: The Nature Conservation Bureau Ltd, Newbury, UK. Printed by: Information Press, Oxford, UK. Available from: IUCN Publications Services Unit 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK Tel: +44 1223 277894, Fax: +44 1223 277175 E-mail: [email protected] WWW: http://www.iucn.org A catalogue of IUCN publications is also available. The text of this book is printed on 115 gsm Zone Silk, which is rated as 4-star under the Eco-Check system and is made from 100% sustainable fibre sources using chlorine-free processes. ii Contents Executive Summary .......................................................v Chapter 5: Yangtze River Population of Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) ............ 67 Preface ........................................................................vii Report of the Workshop to Develop a Conservation Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................. 1 Action Plan for the Yangtze River Finless Porpoise, Ocean Park, Hong Kong, 16–18 September 1997 ....... 67 Report of the Second Meeting of the Asian River RANDALL R. REEVES, THOMAS A. JEFFERSON, TOSHIO KASUYA, Dolphin Committee, 22–24 February 1997, BRIAN D. SMITH, WANG DING, WANG PEILIE, RANDALL Rajendrapur, Bangladesh .............................................1 S. WELLS, BERND WÜRSIG, AND ZHOU KAIYA EDITED BY BRIAN D. SMITH AND RANDALL R. REEVES Status and Conservation of the Chapter 2: Water Development Issues.......................... 15 Yangtze Finless Porpoise ............................................ 81 WANG DING, LIU RENJUN, ZHANG XIANFENG, YANG JIAN, Report of the Workshop on the Effects of Water WEI ZHUO, ZHAO QINGZHONG, AND WANG XIAOQIANG Development on River Cetaceans, 26–28 February 1997, Rajendrapur, Bangladesh .................................. 15 A Preliminary Study on the Variability of the EDITED BY BRIAN D. SMITH AND RANDALL R. REEVES Mitochondrial DNA Control Region in Populations of Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) Register of Water Development Projects in Chinese Waters ....................................................... 86 Affecting River Cetaceans in Asia .............................. 22 YANG GUANG AND ZHOU KAIYA BRIAN D. SMITH, RAVINDRA K. SINHA, ZHOU KAIYA, A. ALEEM CHAUDHRY, LIU RENJUN, WANG DING, Abundance and Distribution of Finless Porpoises in the BENAZIR AHMED, A.K.M. AMINUL HAQUE, R.S. LAL MOHAN, Nanjing-Hukou Section of the Lower Yangtze River .... 91 AND KUMAR SAPKOTA ZHOU KAIYA, YANG GUANG, GAO ANLI, SUN JIANG, AND XU XINRONG Effects