A 14-member delegation led by YANG Zhi, the Chairman of the CPPCC Wuhan Municipal Committee, visited IHB on May 9, 2023. (Credit: IHB)

On May 9th, YANG Zhi, the Chairman of the Wuhan Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), led a delegation of 14 people to conduct a research visit to the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, regarding the protection of the Yangtze River and the construction of the "Digital Yangtze Finless Porpoise" project.    

During the discussion, YIN Zhan, director of IHB, emphasized that the Yangtze finless porpoise is a flagship species of the Yangtze River and a crucial focus of the Yangtze River's conservation efforts. The "Digital Yangtze Finless Porpoise" project initiated by Wuhan City has had a wide-ranging impact. IHB is the earliest and most significant research institution dedicated to the study of Yangtze finless porpoises in China. Yin stated that the institute will continue to support and actively participate in the "Digital Yangtze Finless Porpoise" project.    

Considering the deep connection between Wuhan City and the Yangtze finless porpoise, he proposed the continued strengthening of the fundamental and supportive role of ecological finless porpoise conservation. This includes using the institute's Baiji Dolphinarium as a foundation to establish a breeding and protection center for Yangtze finless porpoises and setting up a special research fund for the protection of Yangtze finless porpoises in Wuhan.   

YANG Zhi stressed that the protection of the Yangtze River is a comprehensive project, and the conservation of Yangtze finless porpoises is also a systematic endeavor. It requires multiple measures to be taken in a coordinated manner to advance the protection of Yangtze finless porpoises. Yang also called for the active involvement of the public in the Yangtze finless porpoise conservation, emphasizing the collective responsibility to protect the Yangtze River.