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Ask Congress to Urge Taiwan's Government to Protect the Critically Endangered Taiwanese White Dolphin

Dear John,

Join the effort to save the endangered Taiwanese white dolphin (TWD)--a subspecies of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin that is found only on the west coast of Taiwan! With fewer than 60 individuals likely remaining, the TWD is in grave danger of being lost forever.

The subspecies has been declared endangered under the US Endangered Species Act and is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Cetacean Specialist Group. In 2019, a recovery plan was developed by a group of international scientists and policy experts concerned with saving the TWD from extinction. A key recommendation of the recovery plan was to locate any new development away from TWD habitat. Currently, a different plan is in motion that directly contradicts this recommendation, as it will expand the Taichung Outer Port Area on Taiwan's west coast. The project area is directly within the TWD's habitat and is perilously close to the Dadu River, a vital foraging area for the population.

The IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group has been deeply concerned about the fate of this tiny dolphin population. This renowned group of experts has noted that essentially cutting this habitat in two by expanding the Taichung Outer Port Area may cause irreparable damage to the population.

Considering the TWD's status and the threats this port expansion poses, the United States should request that Taiwan's government reconsider this project as well as any additional development on the west coast of Taiwan that could jeopardize the TWD's habitat. The disappearance of Taiwan's signature marine mammal would be a tragedy for biodiversity, Taiwan, and, indeed, Taiwan's environmental stewardship.

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What You Can Do
Please use AWI's Action Center to ask your federal representative and senators to take meaningful action to urge Taiwan to protect and preserve its west coast marine ecosystem. ([link removed])

Be sure to share our action alert with family, friends, and co-workers, and encourage them to take action, too. As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Ericca Gandolfo
Policy Advisor, Government Affairs

P.S. Follow us on Facebook ([link removed]), Twitter ([link removed]), and Instagram ([link removed]) for other important animal protection actions and news. Check out the latest edition of the AWI Quarterly ([link removed])!

Photo by Claryana Araújo-Wang/CetAsia Research Group

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The Animal Welfare Institute is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. We seek better treatment of animals everywhere: in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.

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