Death of a Dolphin

There was sad news out of China earlier this month, when the Xinhua News Agency announced the demise of the Chinese River Dolphin.

The species, which lived in the Yangtze River, had been under pressure from hunting, the destruction of its environment, and the loss of food sources. Construction of the Three Gorges Dam had a huge impact on the degradation of the dolphin's habitat, while noise pollution from increased waterborne traffic led to collisions with ships.

The last sighting of a Chinese River Dolphin, or baiji, was made in September, 2004. The event that caused Xinhua to declare the species extinct was a recent 6-week survey of the Yangtze River in which no dolphins were sighted. Some experts argue that this was simply a result of bad weather and murky water conditions, but even if there are survivors, there are probably too few left to keep the species viable.

The passing of the baiji is the first time a cetacean species has been exterminated entirely as the result of human activity. Its relative, the Chinese White Dolphin which lives in the waters off Honk Kong, is also under serious pressure, with a population estimated at less than 150. It is likely to share the same fate as the baiji.