Discovery of wild finless porpoises in Anqing section of the Yangtze River

　　"Look, it’s a finless porpoise! The once rare’ smiling angel’ of the Yangtze River is back. " On April 5th, Shen Fan, a finless porpoise enthusiast and photographer, photographed three or five groups of wild finless porpoises foraging and playing in the waters from Wangdong Yangtze River Bridge in Wangjiang County, Anqing City, Anhui Province to Lianhuazhou Village in Leichi Town.

　　Since the beginning of this year, the Yangtze finless porpoise has frequently appeared in the waters from Wangdong Yangtze River Bridge to Lianhuazhou Village in Leichi Town. "Every time I go these days, I can photograph finless porpoises, sometimes one or two, and sometimes four or five, indicating that this water area is already their fixed prey area." Shen Fan said.

　　The finless porpoise, known as the "giant panda in the water", which is a national first-class protected animal, is very sensitive to the environment and is a "barometer" reflecting the ecology of the Yangtze River. For a long time, due to the influence of human activities and environmental changes, the Yangtze finless porpoise population has been decreasing, even once endangered, and the World Conservation Union listed it as a critically endangered species. In order to protect this rare species, on January 1, 2021, the first local regulation for the protection of Yangtze finless porpoise in China, the Regulations on the Protection of Yangtze finless porpoise in Anqing City, was promulgated and implemented, aiming at promoting the comprehensive ecological restoration of the Yangtze finless porpoise in Anqing section of the Yangtze River and improving its living conditions.

　　"With the implementation of the" Protection Regulations "and the deepening of the Yangtze River’s" 10-year fishing ban ",the water quality of the Yangtze River is getting better and better, and more finless porpoises are seen." Ma Jianhua, director of the management office of Anqing finless porpoise provincial nature reserve, told the reporter that since the fishing ban, the reduction of fishing activities and the increase of aquatic resources have made the Yangtze finless porpoise have more food, and the habitat environment of the finless porpoise has gradually improved. At present, the number of finless porpoises in Anqing section of the Yangtze River has risen to 180 to 200, which has become the "ecological business card" of Anqing.

　　In recent years, Anhui Province has firmly adhered to the concept of "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", launched the "Great Protection Action of the Yangtze River", vigorously promoted the restoration of the Yangtze River ecological environment, unswervingly promoted the "ten-year fishing ban" of the Yangtze River, and built a beautiful Yangtze River (Anhui) economic belt with clear water, green coastline and excellent industry. A large number of chemical enterprises along the Yangtze River have been shut down and turned around, and the beaches and natural coastline along the Yangtze River have been restored. Anhui section of the Yangtze River is one of the most important habitats of finless porpoises in the main stream of the Yangtze River. Anhui has established two finless porpoises nature reserves and two ex situ protected waters in Anqing and Tongling, and the number of finless porpoises is about 260.

　　On April 2nd, the the State Council policy briefing was held, and the relevant information of the Opinions on Unswervingly Promoting the Ten-year Fishing Ban in the Yangtze River was introduced: The latest census and monitoring showed that the population of Yangtze finless porpoise was 1,249, which was the first time since the census began in 2006 to achieve a historic rebound.