AHC: Save the Baiji

JVM

The Baiji, or Yangzte River Dolphin, was once widespread throughout China, but declined considerably throughout the twentieth century, and was declared extinct in 2006. Though there may be a small handful of individuals still alive, general agreement is the species cannot be saved.

Through whatever means, keep the species still known alive as of 2013.
 

YLi

Nationalists win the Chinese Civil War but are left with a huge, festering Communist insurgency in the hinterlands. The Chinese economy never takes off, which preserves the population of the Yangtze River Dolphin.
 

kung Zog

YLi said:
Nationalists win the Chinese Civil War but are left with a huge, festering Communist insurgency in the hinterlands. The Chinese economy never takes off, which preserves the population of the Yangtze River Dolphin.
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this POD I like :)
 

JVM

YLi said:
I'm Chinese. I can't say I like it, mainly due to the daily terrorist attacks that would be occurring in this scenario.

But hey, more river dolphins!
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The river dolphins will repay you in due time. Communists are their natural enemy.
 

Richard V

Old thread, but not that old.

Okay could a breeding population be relocated somewhere else? The Mississippi is roughly in the same latitude as the Yangtze.
 
Yuelang

Yuelang

Banned
Alternatively, instead of cultural revolution, have Chairman Mao go Pol-Pot and decides to have China return to the agrarian roots. No industrializations, much less pollutions, less populances, and hey, river dolphins!
 

Sharunaku

Is it possible to have China focus on light industry and tourism in the Yangzi region, and keep the heavy industry in the north (where ores are abundant) or the coast (easier transport)?
 

mlp

Could the Communist Party recognise the dolphin as a national symbol or Party symbol? (unique, definitely brought from somewhere else but still Chinese)
 
Yuelang

Yuelang

Banned
zeppelinair said:
Could the Communist Party recognise the dolphin as a national symbol or Party symbol? (unique, definitely brought from somewhere else but still Chinese)
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I can see Tiananmen protesters carrying baiji carcasses in this scenario... :D

Way to go, the Westerners will be definitely less thrilled to shown morale support for thosw animal killers, without sanctions in 1990s Chinese economy will soar even higher.
 

Simreeve

YLi said:
Nationalists win the Chinese Civil War but are left with a huge, festering Communist insurgency in the hinterlands. The Chinese economy never takes off, which preserves the population of the Yangtze River Dolphin.
Click to expand...
Or (due to outside factors?) neither side wins, and there's a ceasefire line that basically runs along the Yangtze: A lot less traffic on the river, and reduced industrial development in the region, means better conditions for dolphins...
 

Binky the Clown

The Chinese Government tried to conserve the Baiji from the late 1970's onwards, but failed. Perhaps if they start earlier (say around 1958 - roughly the same time they started trying to conserve Giant Pandas) they'll be able to pull it off.
 

Sharunaku

Simreeve said:
Or (due to outside factors?) neither side wins, and there's a ceasefire line that basically runs along the Yangtze: A lot less traffic on the river, and reduced industrial development in the region, means better conditions for dolphins...
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Naval mines would do wonders to the dolphin population:(
 

Richard V

Binky the Clown said:
The Chinese Government tried to conserve the Baiji from the late 1970's onwards, but failed. Perhaps if they start earlier (say around 1958 - roughly the same time they started trying to conserve Giant Pandas) they'll be able to pull it off.
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Pandas live in sparsely populated reserves, whereas 300 million people live on the banks of the Yangtze. Imagine the entire population of the United States living on the Mississippi and the inexorable outcome becomes clear, whatever government conservation efforts.

Considering the success China has had saving tigers by moving some of them to preserves in Africa I think relocation of the Baiji should have been considered. The Mississippi seems a reasonable choice. Several South American sub-tropical rivers seem plausible, but there are indigenous river dolphins present and introducing another subspecies might cause problems.

Anyway it's probably too late for the Baiji now, the idea is still viable for the endangered Yangtze Finless Porpoise.
 

Karelian

Make them a diplomatic gift like the pandas. Sending out small packs of captured river dolphins will at least give the species a chance to survive elsewhere in the world.
 

mlp

Karelian said:
Make them a diplomatic gift like the pandas. Sending out small packs of captured river dolphins will at least give the species a chance to survive elsewhere in the world.
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"Mr. Nixon, here's a wonderful gift for y -"
*splash*
"Henry, don't go in there! You can't drown a dolphin!"
 
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