Premium
The impact of fisheries management practices on the survival of the Yangtze finless porpoise in China
Author(s) -
Mei Zhigang,
Han Yi,
Dong Lijun,
Turvey Samuel T.,
Hao Yujiang,
Wang Kexiong,
Wang Ding
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/aqc.3078
Subject(s) - fishing , fishery , threatened species , porpoise , overfishing , livelihood , endangered species , fisheries management , geography , ecology , habitat , biology , archaeology , harbour , computer science , programming language , agriculture
The Critically Endangered Yangtze finless porpoise ( Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis ) is facing a significant threat from illegal fishing in Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake, and current fisheries management has proved insufficient to eliminate illegal fishing. A survey of local communities around the two lakes was conducted to investigate fishing activities and their potential impacts. Using a series of six scenarios derived from our data, we suggest that enhanced daytime patrols may have driven fishers to conduct compensatory night‐time fishing when the patrols are absent. Night‐time fishing activities overlap temporally with the main period of Yangtze finless porpoise foraging, so the potential intensification of night‐time fishing with the use of illegal gears could pose an increased threat to porpoises. In addition to increasing law enforcement management efforts, helping fishers to secure alternative livelihoods may provide a more practical and sustainable long‐term method for reducing illegal fishing and its impacts on porpoises. This study also provides important lessons for conservation policy‐making and implementation for other cetacean species threatened by illegal fishing.