Chinese wipe out a dolphin species

MD · 9th August 2007, 19:08

What a heartbreaking news story tonight. Bloody Chinese 'out of control and we don't give a shit about it' polluters have driven the only species of river dolphin in the world into extinction.(the Beijing dolphin)
They have robbed the entire world and all future generations of what was a beautiful and unique and harmless creature that had more right to live in China than man.
It's a pity the rest of the world can't boycott the Beijing Olympics, along with all things out of China to send them a message - the planet belongs to all creatures, stop destroying it.

They said this dolphin has been in the Yangtze river delta for 50m years. I don't know what is worse, that they wiped it out or that they didn't try and save it. A British expedition had to go there to try and find and save any surviving dolphins. So did the Chinese not notice what was happening in their own back yard. Of course they did, they just saw a few dollars from unchecked commerce as more important than a 50 milllion year old rare resident, that was an extraordinary species not found anywhere else in the world. I guess our first arrivals did the same with the moa. But in their defence they were ignorant, not deliberately looking the other way and they didn't have the science and technology to save them once the numbers reached the edge of extinction.
The expedition countered 20,000 boats over a distance ( I forget what it was) that averaged one boat for every 800m of water.

Pricks. Once day China will collapse under it's own filth, but we will all suffer the fallout.

**Biff** · 9th August 2007, 19:19

They only looked for it for a few weeks over a limited section of the river, and it is one massive mother of a river. There have to be no sightings of one for 50 years before it's officially declared extinct apparently.

I read that the researchers claimed that pollution wasn't the likely cause of any extinction, but more due to the tactics that local fishermen used to catch fish - by electrocution and dynamite mostly. Collateral damage I guess.

Shame.

MD · 9th August 2007, 19:27

Here's a sight no man will ever see again. But he wont have to walk far to find another shopping mall with a MacDonalds.

**janno** · 9th August 2007, 19:38

Yes, the Chinese are infuriatingly irresponsible.

But so are we. As in NZers and Aussies.

We are not as bad. But only just.

Nz has a pretty shocking record for industrial filth and general pollution - it's just because we have such a tiny country that we can get away with blue murder. You probably know about the state of fish stocks in NZ waters. Yes, we've had poaching from Russian, Korean and Jap (I think) vessels, but the kiwi boats had a rape and pillage mentality as well.

I worked on longliners and factory boats a while back, and the amount of fish dumped just made your blood boil.

So what I'm trying to say is it's easy, and justified, to get really pissed off at countries like China and India, but we aren't exactly squeaky clean either.

**doc** · 9th August 2007, 19:58

Originally Posted by janno

Yes, the Chinese are infuriatingly irresponsible.

But so are we. As in NZers and Aussies.

We are not as bad. But only just.

Nz has a pretty shocking record for industrial filth and general pollution - it's just because we have such a tiny country that we can get away with blue murder. You probably know about the state of fish stocks in NZ waters. Yes, we've had poaching from Russian, Korean and Jap (I think) vessels, but the kiwi boats had a rape and pillage mentality as well.

I worked on longliners and factory boats a while back, and the amount of fish dumped just made your blood boil.

So what I'm trying to say is it's easy, and justified, to get really pissed off at countries like China and India, but we aren't exactly squeaky clean either.

It's their fu.king dolphin they can do what they like with it. Like they weren't eating them were they ? We would never have got to see it anyway it's their loss. We still have Opo's memorial which we really treasure.

**crazefox** · 9th August 2007, 20:06

We should go and wipe those F##KS out

**T-Thunder13** · 9th August 2007, 20:10

yeah just a pitty theres more chinese than any other race on earth. and they happen to have bought up all america's debt. so hurrah to the soon to be new world leaders. and i dont think we can so f*ck all about it

**crazefox** · 9th August 2007, 20:12

Originally Posted by T-Thunder13

yeah just a pitty theres more chinese than any other race on earth. and they happen to have bought up all america's debt. so hurrah to the soon to be new world leaders. and i dont think we can so f*ck all about it

True good point but we can start trying?

**T-Thunder13** · 9th August 2007, 20:16

yea lets boycot all things from china............ that leaves me with pretty much nothing. but ill give it the benefit of the doubt

**Grahameeboy** · 9th August 2007, 20:32

Originally Posted by janno

Yes, the Chinese are infuriatingly irresponsible.

But so are we. As in NZers and Aussies.

We are not as bad. But only just.

Nz has a pretty shocking record for industrial filth and general pollution - it's just because we have such a tiny country that we can get away with blue murder. You probably know about the state of fish stocks in NZ waters. Yes, we've had poaching from Russian, Korean and Jap (I think) vessels, but the kiwi boats had a rape and pillage mentality as well.

I worked on longliners and factory boats a while back, and the amount of fish dumped just made your blood boil.

So what I'm trying to say is it's easy, and justified, to get really pissed off at countries like China and India, but we aren't exactly squeaky clean either.

Those that cast stones eh......don't hear the Chinese criticising the Yanks for Iraq do we and this thread started by criticising the Chinese for not caring yet it sounds like it was just careless fishermen and for all we know the Dolphins are holed up somewhere safe..........the Japs are a lot more malicious.

**Swoop** · 9th August 2007, 21:00

I aviod purchasing any product "made in china" whenever possible. The worlds largest polluter is the "peoples respublic", so please do not support this crock of guano.

Poison the rivers. Create massive coal-fired power stations.

Personally I would rather pay more to ensure products are "Made in New Zealand".

MD · 9th August 2007, 21:13

Originally Posted by doc

It's their fu.king dolphin they can do what they like with it. Like they weren't eating them were they ? We would never have got to see it anyway it's their loss. We still have Opo's memorial which we really treasure.

What a dumb comment.
It's their dolphin? How do you figure that?. Did they got back in time and create it? did they buy it off a shop shelf 50 million years ago so they could claim the right to wipe it out?
It's not just their loss. It's everyones loss now and forever, whether you see one in the flesh or not. So they can wipe out the panda as well then by your logic. Did they make the panda bear out of a mechano set or buy it at the warehouse?

Sure over fishing and the three gorges dam contributed. My point was the Chinese Government knew and did nothing. They were warned that damming the river network would cause extinction but went ahead anyway.

Grahameeboy, how exactly do dolphins trapped by dams in a polluted river network find somewhere safe to hide? Maybe the lochness monster can pop over and give them some tips.

Sure my place is full of Chinese made stuff and we have little choice nowadays. That still doesn't excuse their Government for acting decades ago to save them.

**sAsLEX** · 9th August 2007, 21:16

Does the Amazon not have river dolphins http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boto

Doesn't make what the Chinese have done any better.

**janno** · 9th August 2007, 21:25

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

Does the Amazon not have river dolphins http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boto

Doesn't make what the Chinese have done any better.

The Amazon ones are being wiped out too, along with thousands of acres of rainforest to make all the shit we "need" these days.

I fully agree with paying more for NZ made products. Plus more jobs = less people languishing on the dole. I always buy Aus made (cos I'm here, natch) - but that's pretty easy considering how big their manufacturing base is.