January 24， 2008， the Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Department in Institute of Hydrobiology， Chinese Academy of Sciences held the “Yangtze finless porpoise ex situ conservation” results identification Conference。 Office of basic research and science and technology achievements， Director Zhang Baoqing and Zhaodong， chaired the conference。 Identification Committee was consisted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Academician Ye Chaohui， Huazhong Science and Technology University Academician Yang Shuzi， Wuhan University Professor Hu Hongxing， Huazhong Agricultural University Professor Xiong Bangxi， Hua Zhong Normal University Professor Chen Qicai， Institute of Hydro ecology， Ministry of water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences professor Wu Chuanlin， Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute professor Wei Qiwei 。Ye Zhaohui Yang Shuzi academicians represented as director and deputy。 Institute of Hydrobiology， Chinese Academy of Sciences deputy director Zhao Jindong and research office Zhang Xianfeng， Liu Li also participated in the event。
The “Ex situ conservation Yangtze finless porpoise" research project’s 20 years of work has achieved remarkable results concerning finless porpoises in capturing transport， habitat planning， domestication feeding， breeding management， water quality monitoring， the deployment of nutrition， disease prevention and treatment， and care for pregnant finless porpoises。
Yangtze finless porpoise is a rare aquatic animal endemic to China， and is only found in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake， Poyang Lake and its tributaries。 Because of direct and indirect human activities， the habitat of the Yangtze finless porpoise has suffered serious damage and its population size has been reduced to less than 1800， almost the brink of extinction。 With the rapid economic development near the Yangtze River， environmental protection and modernization is hard to balance。 This study was the first successful implementation of the Ex situ conservation of the Yangtze finless porpoise and is the only successful example of "Ex situ conservation" in practice of large aquatic mammals。 In addition， the study is the first artificial environment to successfully raise and breed the finless porpoise。
Identification Committee believes that the study on the Yangtze finless porpoise is of great significance to its protection。 The results from this study can help be a reference to establish future Ex situ conservation sites for the rest of the world’s endangered aquatic mammals。