Yangtze finless porpoise: A window into a Wuhan's ecological success

On Sept. 19, mayors from various countries attending the 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue · Wuhan visited the Yangtze Cetacean Breeding and Research Center in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, to learn about porpoise protection.

They heard the story of the porpoise population's changing fortunes, reviewed decades of ecological work along the Yangtze River, and witnessed the remarkable progress achieved through conservation.

Thanks to sustained habitat rehabilitation and reduced human disturbance, the Yangtze finless porpoise population has gradually recovered from 1,012 individuals in 2017 to 1,426 individuals in 2025. This ecological story offers practical reference for wildlife conservation in freshwater systems across the world and is hailed by mayors around the world.