Caixin Weekly | After the Whales Appeared in the Bohai Sea (AI Translation)
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文｜财新周刊 周泰来，马铭泽（实习）
By Caixin Weekly's Zhou Tailai and Ma Mingze (Intern)
文｜财新周刊 周泰来，马铭泽（实习）
By Caixin Weekly’s Zhou Tailai and Ma Mingze (Intern)
“鲸口夺食！今天被震撼到了！！！”3月2日，水下摄影师吴立新在网上发布视频称，“几十条灯光拖网渔船在布氏鲸出没觅食的地方反复拖行，这只是夜晚的开始，将持续到天亮。”
“Snatching food from the whale’s mouth! I was truly shocked today!!!” On March 2, underwater photographer Wu Lixin posted a video online saying, “Dozens of light-luring trawlers repeatedly sweep through the area where Bryde’s whales come to feed. This is just the beginning of the night, and it will go on till dawn.”
视频中，12艘灯光拖网船排成一字长蛇阵，黑夜里，船头用于诱鱼的灯光将海面照得发白，船两侧方框形的网兜在水中拖行。吴立新对财新称，他拍摄的是斜阳岛海域的情况。
In the video, twelve illuminated trawlers are lined up in a long, straight formation. In the darkness, the lights at the bows, used to attract fish, cast a silvery glow across the sea surface, while rectangular-shaped nets are dragged through the water on either side of the vessels. Wu Lixin told Caixin that he filmed these scenes in the waters off Xieyang Island.
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- Bryde’s whales, China’s only nearshore whale population, reside seasonally around Weizhou and Xieyang Islands but face threats from rising fishing activity, declining baitfish, and injuries—over half of 57 whales studied showed some injury.
- Whale-watching tourism on Weizhou Island has grown rapidly, attracting thousands and boosting local revenue, but unregulated close encounters and increased boat traffic may disturb whales.
- Experts urge creation of a marine protected area, stricter fishing controls, and more research funding to safeguard the whales’ survival and ecosystem.
Summary:
[para. 1] Underwater photographer Wu Lixin documented the increasing presence of illuminated trawlers near Xieyang Island in the Beibu Gulf, Guangxi, China, where Bryde’s whales come to feed. In early 2024, the number of trawlers observed nightly rose significantly, causing concern among local scientists and conservationists. Xieyang Island is a small islet near Weizhou Island—the only whale-watching location in China, home to a unique, consistently present pod of Bryde’s whales, especially active from December to April each year. [para. 2][para. 3]
[para. 4][para. 5] Research by Professor Chen Bingyao and collaborators has identified over 70 individual Bryde’s whales in the area, with an annual fluctuating population of 26-58. The Bryde’s whale, a first-class protected animal in China, feeds on small fish such as anchovies—species also targeted by local fisheries for aquaculture feed, leading to direct competition. Enforcement struggles persist because the illuminated trawlers do not violate current regulations, as their fishing methods are classified differently than prohibited trawling. [para. 6][para. 22][para. 23]
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- Beihai Weizhou Island Sunyee Marine Sports Co., Ltd.
- Beihai Weizhou Island Sunyee Marine Sports Co., Ltd. is a joint venture company that manages 41 out of around 50 yachts involved in whale-watching tourism on Weizhou Island. It was founded to regulate whale-watching activities, requiring yachts to have AIS, electronic fencing, regular inspections, and safety checks. The company collaborates with research institutions, trains yacht captains in scientific whale-watching, and establishes guidelines to minimize disturbance to Bryde’s whales.
- Beihai Sunyee Yachts Co., Ltd.
- Beihai Sunyee Yachts Co., Ltd. is a joint venture company operating on Weizhou Island. It manages a club with 41 yachts, out of about 50 yachts involved in the local whale-watching industry. Ten of these yachts are owned by Sunyee, while the remaining 31 belong to island residents. The company is committed to standardizing whale-watching practices, ensuring safety regulations, and collaborating with research institutions for captain training and sustainable tourism.
- Guangxi Beihai Weizhou Island Cultural Tourism Group Co., Ltd.
- Guangxi Beihai Weizhou Island Cultural Tourism Group Co., Ltd. is one of the shareholders of Beihai Xinyi Yachting Co., Ltd., which jointly founded the Weizhou Island Xinyi Marine Sports Club. This club manages 41 out of approximately 50 yachts used for whale-watching tourism on Weizhou Island, promoting regulated and sustainable marine tourism development in the area.
- Lüda Fisheries Company
- Lüda Fisheries Company, based in Dalian, China, successfully refitted China's first small whaling vessel in 1955 and caught its first minke whale that year at the Haiyang Island whaling grounds. In 1963, their large whaling ship "Yuanlong" was launched. The company was active in whaling in the Yellow Sea, but whale catches declined as whale populations decreased due to overhunting in the region.
- Nippon Suisan Ocean Whaling Company (Toyo Whaling Co., Ltd.)
- The Nippon Suisan Ocean Whaling Company (Toyo Whaling Co., Ltd.) was a Japanese company that established a whaling base on Haiyang Island near Dalian, China, in 1914 during the Japanese occupation. Over seven years, they captured 710 large whales, including blue whales, fin whales, and sperm whales. Their whaling grounds expanded from local waters to the Yellow Sea and Jeju Island, but catches declined due to overhunting.
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