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New Yangtze River dam could doom more endangered species Jeremy Hance mongabay.com June 22, 2009
The letter contends that Xiaonanhia Dam, which would be 30 kilometers upstream from the city of Chongqing, will negatively impact the river’s only fish reserve. Spanning 400 kilometers in the upper Yangtze, the reserve is home to 180 fish species, including the Endangered Chinese sturgeon, and the Critically Endangered Chinese paddlefish, as well as the finless porpoise. "The negative impacts of overdevelopment of hydropower would destroy the river's diverse aquatic life," the letter says. It was written in time to reach Chinese officials as they take the project under review. The letter argues that the Xiaonanhai Dam will block migration routes for fish, turn rapids into stagnant ponds, and endanger important spawning grounds.
The Yangtze River has already experienced a grave loss. In 2006, the baiji, a river dolphin, was declared “functionally extinct” by a group of international scientists. The construction of dams along the Yangtze is thought to have contributed to the baiji’s extinction by constricting its habitat; in addition the baiji suffered from hunting, fishing by-catch, electrocution by illegal electric fishing, collisions with boats, and pollution. Dudgeon holds out little hope for the river’s iconic fish species. "My guess is that the paddlefish and the Yangtze sturgeon are on the way to extinction already but there are other species that the reserve may be critically important for," he told Reuters. "The (Xiaonanhai) dam would probably finish off some of the more vulnerable species -- the last nail in the coffin." Proponents of the dam contend that it will provide cheap and clean energy to the city of Chongqing. One of the world’s largest builders of hydroelectric power, Chinese officials maintain that the many dams along the Yangtze are vital power sources that do not contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Related articles NASA monitors China's Three Gorges Dam (06/13/2007) Some call it the eighth wonder of world. Others say it's the next Great Wall of China. Upon completion in 2009, the Three Gorges Dam along China's Yangtze River will be the world's largest hydroelectric power generator and one of the few man-made structures so enormous that it's actually visible to the naked eye from space. NASA's Landsat satellites have provided detailed, vivid views of the dam since construction began in 1994. Damage to Yangtze 'irreversible' says China 
(04/16/2007) Pollution, dams and excessive boat traffic have caused an 'largely irreversible' decline in the aquatic ecology of the Yangtze says a report issued by China's official State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).
The news of extinction: western media's response to the demise of the Baiji 
(04/01/2007) The news came and went with an alacrity that I found alarming, almost jolting. I waited for weeks, faithfully; I could not believe that the initial announcement would be followed by nothing but silence on the issue, no rationalizations, no opinions, no discussions, no outpourings of grief. Just silence.
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Tags: china China's Environmental Problems rivers dams Fish endangered species in-situ conservation protected areas jeremy hance green environment Energy in China animals biodiversity clean energy conservation environmental politics extinction greenhouse gas emissions green energy asia mammals pollution saving species from extinction water
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