Finless porpoises seen in Yangtze River in Changshu

A couple of finless porpoises were seen near the Sutong Bridge in the Changshu section of the Yangtze River on the afternoon of Apr. 6.

The finless porpoise, which is dubbed "the giant panda in water", is an endangered species under national first-class protection in China. It was once on the brink of extinction because its number declined continuously due to many factors such as interference from human activities and environmental changes. In 2012, the species was listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The finless porpoise is an important indicator of the ecology of the Yangtze River. Since January 1, 2021 when China began a 10-year fishing ban on key areas of the Yangtze River to protect biodiversity in the country's longest river, people have noticed that they have many more chances to see the finless porpoise jumping out of water in the Yangtze River, showing that the ecological environment of the river has been substantially improved.

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