This photo taken on Jan 5, 2025 shows a Yangtze finless porpoise swimming near the lower reaches of the Gezhouba Dam in Yichang city, Central China's Hubei province. The Yangtze finless porpoise is a national first-class protected wild animal and its population status serves as a "barometer" of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River. Photo Credit: Xinhua
Animals ChinaRiver Protection Drives Comeback for Rare Freshwater Dolphin
China’s Yangtze finless porpoise population has risen to 1,426 in 2025, showing ecosystem recovery following a decade-long fishing ban and conservation efforts.
“The recovery of the Yangtze finless porpoise reflects the overall improvement of biodiversity in the river basin and the gradual restoration of ecological vitality in our mother river,” said Zhang Zhili, Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The population increased by 177 individuals since 2022, rebounding from just 1,012 animals in 2017 after decades of decline. Five conservation zones now protect more than 150 relocated porpoises, producing over 10 calves annually, while scientists have created a freshwater cetacean sperm bank to support breeding. Broader monitoring between 2021 and 2025 recorded 351 fish species, 43 more than before the fishing ban, with fish density doubling compared with 2020, signalling long-term restoration of river biodiversity.
