He Daming may only have received eight months of education as a child, but he is smart enough to realize that the fate of the fishermen in his village is closely tied to that of the rare finless porpoise.

Researchers from the Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, check the health of a rare finless porpoise that was shipped from Poyang Lake on May 25. A severe drought last year posed a serious threat to the mammals' survival. [China Daily]

The 43-year-old, who has been fishing Dongting Lake in Hunan province since he was 11, recently handed out 2,000 copies of a letter he wrote urging fellow villagers to protect the endangered mammals.

"We used to regard them as river gods; we'd never hunt or hurt them," he said, explaining that they are seen as "guides" because they are usually spotted in areas where fish are in abundance.

"We all depend on fish to survive," he said. "If the lake environment worsens and there are fewer fish, the porpoises die and we won't be able to make a living."

Since April, He and another 10 friends have been patrolling the lake, hoping to protect the animal from illegal fishing techniques, such as electrofishing.

"These destructive methods kill all the life, including small fish, which are the main food source for finless porpoises. Sometimes the porpoises are injured or killed, too," said He, who has already persuaded several fishermen to be more eco-friendly.

Yet, fishermen alone cannot solve the problem. Studies show that the porpoises, which are found only in the Yangtze River and Poyang and Dongting lakes, have also been affected by pollution, busy water traffic, extreme weather conditions (mainly droughts) and the construction of hydropower projects.

A poster urging villagers to cease electrofishing and protect the finless porpoises attracts the attention of Zhao Yihui and his nephew in Dongting village, Hunan province, on Saturday. [China Daily]

A three-year field survey recently completed by the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the international wildlife NGO, found about 1,000 finless porpoises, down from an estimated 1,800 in 2006.

The findings suggest the population is reducing by 6.4 percent every year, although the rate is much higher in Dongting Lake, where only about 120 now remain.

Although the animals have a history dating back more than 25 million years, Wang Ding, former deputy director of the institute, predicted that the species could be extinct in a decade if measures are not taken to protect them.

Protection bid

The finless porpoise, or the "river pig" as it is more commonly known, is popular for its friendly nature and smiling face. However, their number is now fewer than the giant panda, which is regarded as among the planet's most endangered animals.

"They are the pandas of the water, and they deserve the same urgent protection," said Xu Yaping, a journalist from Hunan's Yueyang city who is campaigning to ensure the survival of the species. "We should be grateful we still have 10 years, but it's going to be too late if we don't start right now."

The 46-year-old has been a fan of the finless porpoise since the 1980s, when he worked as a waiter at a hotel beside Dongting Lake.

"I checked books and learned it was the only freshwater finless porpoise on Earth and a national-level protected animal," he said. "After that, I begged fishermen not to hurt them every morning when I bought fish for the hotel."

On Jan 8, Xu set up the Yangtze Finless Porpoise Conservation Society, mainly to ease the problem at Dongting Lake. He has solicited help from scientists, fellow journalists and teachers.

Xu also takes part in He Deming's patrols but said many fishermen ignore warnings about illegal techniques because traditional methods result in smaller hauls.

"All we can do is try to make them understand that unsustainable methods will hurt them in the long run," he said.

The society, which now has about 50 members, has been promoting their ideas to local authorities and relevant government departments. They have also organized lectures and seminars, and rescued injured porpoises.

Plans are under way to set up an observation station on Dongting Lake for volunteers.

"We are looking into the possibility of turning Nanhu Lake, which is fed from Dongting Lake, into an artificial breeding center for the species," said Xie Yongjun, an associate professor of animal husbandry at Yueyang Vocational and Technical College, who is a member of the society.

Another goal is to raise the conservation level for finless porpoises and establish a special conservation zone in Dongting Lake. Grade 1 protection is the highest level, yet the finless porpoise is currently only Grade 2.

Upgrading the porpoise to the top level, however, has met with opposition from some industries, as it means protecting the porpoises would have priority over economic activities along the river, such as transport development.

"The job can't be done by our organization alone. We need help from the government and the public," Xu said, who added that he has already spent more than 50,000 yuan ($7,800) on the society, and plans to sell one of his two apartments to free up further funds.

As well as the finless porpoise, the Yangtze River also used to be home to another freshwater mammal: the baiji, or Chinese river dolphin. The animal was declared extinct in 2006.

"We've already lost the baiji," Xu said. "We can't fail the finless porpoises, too."