Chinese White Dolphins
Research Paper 1 – Physical Geography
Review on the Conservation Plan of the Chinese White Dolphins in Hong Kong
Periodically, all government needs to balance between economic and environmental development. Chinese White Dolphin, being one of the marine biodiversity indicators, has been under international concern in the 1990s. Being one of the major habitats of the Chinese White Dolphin, the seabed near Northern Lantau was under reclamation for the Chek Lap Kok Airport construction, which resulted in a loss of local habitat and cause rapid decline in population of the dolphins. Soon enough, researches and funding projects was held by the Hong Kong Government but still, from year 2003 to 2013, the number of these dolphins still dwindled from a population of 159 to 61 dolphins, which contributes only 60% of the last decade. In light of this, this essay will first outline the cause for the nearly endangered Chinese White Dolphins, followed by the protection scheme implemented by the government. It then argues the effectiveness and efficiency of the scheme.
Sousa chinensis, namely Chinese White Dolphin, is a humpback dolphin species which is white or pink when they mature. Living up to around forty years, Chinese White Dolphins live in estuarine habitat, including Lantau Island, Sha Chau, Lung Kwu Chau, etc. To predict the population trend, the yearly abundance of the dolphins is mainly estimated by the Line transect boat survey and Photo-identification technique (Jefferson, 1996). Yet, it is recently suggested that there is a potential threat of extinction for the Chinese White Dolphins in the near future.
There are mainly five reasons contributing to the rapid drop in population (AFCD, 2000). First, reclamation of coastal water cause permanent loss of living habitat and the construction activities cause disturbance. Living in such a stressed environment, dolphins will then live abnormally and might cause death. Second, discharging improper sewage will
Review on the Conservation Plan of the Chinese White Dolphins in Hong Kong
Periodically, all government needs to balance between economic and environmental development. Chinese White Dolphin, being one of the marine biodiversity indicators, has been under international concern in the 1990s. Being one of the major habitats of the Chinese White Dolphin, the seabed near Northern Lantau was under reclamation for the Chek Lap Kok Airport construction, which resulted in a loss of local habitat and cause rapid decline in population of the dolphins. Soon enough, researches and funding projects was held by the Hong Kong Government but still, from year 2003 to 2013, the number of these dolphins still dwindled from a population of 159 to 61 dolphins, which contributes only 60% of the last decade. In light of this, this essay will first outline the cause for the nearly endangered Chinese White Dolphins, followed by the protection scheme implemented by the government. It then argues the effectiveness and efficiency of the scheme.
Sousa chinensis, namely Chinese White Dolphin, is a humpback dolphin species which is white or pink when they mature. Living up to around forty years, Chinese White Dolphins live in estuarine habitat, including Lantau Island, Sha Chau, Lung Kwu Chau, etc. To predict the population trend, the yearly abundance of the dolphins is mainly estimated by the Line transect boat survey and Photo-identification technique (Jefferson, 1996). Yet, it is recently suggested that there is a potential threat of extinction for the Chinese White Dolphins in the near future.
There are mainly five reasons contributing to the rapid drop in population (AFCD, 2000). First, reclamation of coastal water cause permanent loss of living habitat and the construction activities cause disturbance. Living in such a stressed environment, dolphins will then live abnormally and might cause death. Second, discharging improper sewage will