Dear Colleagues,

China’s Yangtze River dolphin or baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) made world headline news in December 2006 after an extensive six-week survey of its historical range failed to find a single surviving individual. Since this time no authentic sightings have been reported, and the species is considered to be probably extinct. This represents the disappearance of an entire mammal family, and the first cetacean species to have been wiped out by human activity. The probable extinction of the baiji also represents the first disappearance of a large-bodied vertebrate species since the emergence of an international network of conservation organizations that have tended to prioritize conservation efforts on such charismatic animals.

Many other cetaceans (such as the vaquita and the Indian river dolphins), and a growing number of other species worldwide, are also in imminent danger of extinction. It is therefore imperative to identify the key lessons that can be learnt from the history of attempts to conserve the baiji, and the ultimate failure of these attempts to prevent the extinction of this species, before this knowledge is lost with time. How was it possible for a species of river dolphin to become extinct, when it should have been the focus of intensive conservation attention and activity? Without a fuller understanding of the failure of baiji conservation efforts – in terms of management, bureaucracy and implementation of recovery plans – the same failures are fated to play themselves out with other Critically Endangered species.

With support from the US Marine Mammal Commission, Hong Kong Ocean Park Foundation, the Zoological Society of London and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, we are conducting an in-depth investigation into the socio-economic factors that influenced international baiji conservation efforts over recent decades. In order to collect meaningful comparative data on this crucial subject, we have developed a standard baiji conservation questionnaire. We are currently distributing this questionnaire to organisations and participants who have been involved with past baiji conservation efforts, in order to quantify the different types of baiji conservation efforts that were conducted or supported; the economic resources made available for these efforts; the factors that influenced support for different strategies; and perceptions regarding roles and responsibilities concerning strategy implementation.

It is our intention to make this study as broad and inclusive as possible. A Chinese-language version of this questionnaire is being sent to all key government agencies, officials and scientific institutions within China who have been involved in baiji conservation efforts during the last four decades. An English-language version is being sent to all individuals and organizations outside China who played a prominent role in historical baiji conservation efforts. We are also making the questionnaire available on-line, so that it can be completed by any other individuals or conservation organisations that were also involved in baiji conservation. If the latter applies to you or your organization, we would be extremely grateful if you could find the time to complete the most relevant questionnaire below and return it to us by email at the following address:

INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONNAIRE

ORGANIZATION QUESTIONNAIRE

leigh@vaquita.org

All questionnaires are anonymous, although we request that the informant’s name or organisation should be included for the purpose of classifying different responses prior to analysis of results. The results of this study will be prepared for publication in an international peer-reviewed conservation science journal.

Your contribution will be invaluable for us to learn what went wrong for the baiji, and how we can work to prevent similar failures from taking place in the future. If you have any questions about the questionnaire please do not hesitate to contact us. We thank you in advance for giving your valuable time to this initiative.