So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
August 8, 2007I first read about the Yangtzee River dolphin in Douglas Adams novel ‘Last Chance to See’. So it was with some sadness that I read this -
THE Yangtze River dolphin, until recently one of the most endangered species on the planet, has been declared officially extinct following an intensive survey of its natural habitat.
The freshwater marine mammal, which could grow to 2½ metres long and weigh up to a quarter of a tonne, is the first large vertebrate forced to extinction by human activity in 50 years. This is only the fourth time an entire evolutionary line of mammals has vanished from the Earth since the year 1500.
Conservationists yesterday described the extinction as a shocking tragedy, caused not by active persecution but inadvertently and carelessly through a combination of factors including unsustainable fishing and mass shipping.
I’m well aware that most people might say - “Well so what? It’s just a dumb, stupid worthless animal. Aren’t there more important things to talk about - like the War in Iraq or the economy?”. Since Douglas Adams is no longer with us, I’d remind them that the world can be a truly extraordinary and wonderful place. The extinction of the Yangtzee River dolphin makes the world just that bit less wonderous.
