Hong Kong scientists lock horns over dolphin population size, with new HKU study finding larger numbers
Leading expert says the latest data could lead the government to underestimate threat of human activities
A new study by the University of Hong Kong has found that at least 368 Chinese white dolphins rely on the city’s waters as part of their home range – a larger number than previously estimated.
But the scientist who has been the city’s authority on monitoring of the endangered species has warned against over focusing on the research, when forming policy.
The study, published in peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, was conducted between 2010 and 2014, and co-authored by Stephen Chan, a PhD student, and Dr Leszek Karczmarski, associate professor at the Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences.
Chan noted that the dolphins in Hong Kong waters represented an integral part of the Pearl River estuary population.
In 2015, 65 Chinese white dolphins were estimated to be in Hong Kong waters, while the figures from 2010 to 2014 were between 73 and 88, according to reports by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Dr Karczmarski said that the far lower numbers recorded by the department was because it took estimates of animal populations that were present in the area at a given time, while his team looked at the overall number of animals in Hong Kong waters throughout the study period.