The smallest dolphin on the edge of extinction

Scientists have once again voiced the fact that Maui dolphins, the smallest and rarest among dolphins, are facing extinction.

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Their only habitat is on New Zealand's west coast. Maui dolphins have a lifespan of 20 years and when they are 7 years old they start breeding activities.

The main cause of harming Maui dolphins is the fishing nets of fishermen. Last month, a Maui dolphin died when caught in this kind of net, it was an adult fish, 1.7m long. Recent research by scientists from Aukland University, Oregon and the New Zealand Department of Conservation through the use of DNA samples shows that: Over the past 7 years, from 111 children to now only 55 individuals, in There are 20 children.

Dr. Barbara Maas of Cambridge University organized a petition, collecting 10,000 signatures to ask New Zealand to act quickly before it was too late. Statistics show that in the 1970s there were about 1,000 Maui dolphins in this area before the commercial fishing permit. Therefore, experts believe that a protected area must be established and a posted net must be banned in large areas.

According to the Daily Mail, Maui's situation is similar to that of Chinese Baiji dolphins, they once had a lot and are considered 'goddess' of the Yangtze river. In 2006, a team of scientists conducted a survey throughout 1,700 miles of the Yangtze River to look for some Baiji individuals, moving them to another place for conservation. But the result was nil, Baiji was declared extinct because of the operation of ships, fishing and hydropower.