Across China: An encounter with white dolphins in east China(2)

According to Cai Libo, director of the Xiamen Chinese White Dolphin Amphioxus Nature Reserve Affairs Center, the provincial white dolphin reserve was set up in Xiamen to lure back the rare mammals in 1997. In 2000, it was upgraded to a national-level nature reserve for rare marine species, covering a total area of 7,588 hectares.

In addition to designating protected areas, supporting measures have been timely followed up. In 2001, the construction plan of the national reserve and special protection plan for Chinese white dolphins were formulated and implemented. The reserve authorities also took the lead in compiling and organizing the implementation of the national action plan for Chinese white dolphins.

Measures including fishing bans were also adopted to reduce the impact of human activities on dolphins. Ecological measures such as the restoration of mangrove wetlands have expanded the living space of white dolphins.

"White dolphins are the top predators in an ecosystem and an indicator species of ecosystem health. In Xiamen bay, an area of high human activity, the white dolphin population is stable and increasing, which indicates that the ecosystem here is relatively healthy," Wang said.