A Range-Wide Assessment of Neophocaena: Threats and Priorities for Research and Conservation

Abstract

The genus Neophocaena includes two species, the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise (N.phocaenoides) and the Narrow-Ridged Finless Porpoise (N. asiaeorientalis). Within N. asiaeorientalis there are two subspecies, the Yangtze Finless Porpoise (N. a. asiaeorientalis), found in the Yangtze River and adjacent lakes in China and the East Asian Finless Porpoise (N. a. sunameri), found in coastal marine waters of China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. The Indo-Pacific species is found in coastal waters from the Persian Gulf through south and southeast Asia to as far north as the Taiwan Strait, but no subspecies have been described. In 2019, an international workshop was held where participants presented and discussed research on and conservation of finless porpoises. Information from this workshop showed that, in many regions, information on distribution, abundance, and population structure is lacking or inadequate. A global assessment of research is critical to provide a basis for conservation planning.Anthropogenic activities (i.e., habitat degradation, pollution, etc.) are a few known threats, with fisheries bycatch being the primary threat throughout most of the known distribution of both species of finless porpoises. Research efforts need to be prioritized to focus on distribution, habitat and ecology, fisheries-related mortality, and solutions to mitigate bycatch in order to improve the outlook for the protection of these cetaceans. New approaches to research and raising public awareness of the threats to finless porpoises are critical steps in preventing further loss of these species. v Acknowledgements I would like to thank my committee members Dr. Ellen Hines, Dr. John Wang, and Dr. Denise Greig for providing me the guidance and support to complete my degree. I would like to show gratitude to