Manatees are officially extinct in China, according to a report released Wednesday. “Based on our findings,” the scientists wrote in their paper, “we are forced to conclude that the manatee species has experienced a sharp population decline in recent decades and is now extinct.” Functional strains from China”.
Research published August 24 in the journal Royal Society Open Science shows that the number of fairy fish has declined rapidly since the 1970s and there is no record or evidence of this species since 2008. They are threatened globally by human activities such as fishing, boat collisions and habitat loss.
Conservation scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted surveys and reviewed historical distribution data before drawing conclusions. According to Professor Samuel Turvey, co-author of the study, the disappearance of the fairy fish in China is a great loss. Their absence not only affects their ecological function, but also serves as an alarm bell for possible extinction before effective conservation measures are developed.
Mermaids (Dugong dugon), also known as dugongs or sea cows, are herbivorous marine mammals that can grow up to 3 m long. Their diet consists only of seagrasses. Mermaids have lived in southern China for hundreds of years. In addition, they also live in coastal areas from East Africa to Vanuatu and the islands of southwestern Japan. However, they are globally threatened and are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are also the highest protected species in China.
To test the survival status, the researchers conducted a survey of mermaids in 66 fishing communities in Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian. Through interview survey, they collected useful data not previously available to assess the status of mermaids in the area.
Despite looking to data on recent occurrences of mermaids in the South China Sea, the team found no evidence of their existence. They propose to reassess the conservation status of the mermaids and move them to the “critically endangered” category.
The new study marks the first functionally extinct large marine mammal in Chinese waters. The potential reason for the decline in both mermaids is that they are dependent on marine algae for both habitat and food sources. Seaweed is rapidly degraded due to human impact. Recovering and revitalizing seaweed is a priority in China, but these projects take time to work for the animals.
Sea cows have been known to live in China for hundreds of years, but have not been seen for about 20 years. The research team carried out an extensive investigation, surveying local fishing communities in four Chinese provinces for evidence and traces of sea cows in the country’s waters. The findings indicate that the significant population decline of the species is unlikely to be halted or resumed in the current situation.
