{"id":60149130,"date":"2026-08-27T19:52:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T18:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?post_type=news_digest&p=60149130"},"modified":"2026-08-27T19:57:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T18:57:43","slug":"underwater-natural-gas-project-near-brydes-whale-habitat-in-southwest-china-approved","status":"publish","type":"news_digest","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/underwater-natural-gas-project-near-brydes-whale-habitat-in-southwest-china-approved\/","title":{"rendered":"Underwater gas project near south China whale habitat approved"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An underwater natural gas pipeline project near the habitat of an endangered whale species has been approved by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, with some additional requirements, reports<\/a> Caixin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bryde\u2019s whale is a type of baleen whale with a significant population around Weizhou Island in the Beibu Gulf, off China\u2019s southwestern coast. It is the only population of large baleen whales found in coastal waters off mainland China. It\u2019s also a Class I protected species \u2013 China’s highest level of protection \u2013 with average annual herd size ranging from 26 to 58, Caixin notes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to its environmental impact assessment (EIA<\/a>), the proposed 33-kilometer natural gas subsea pipeline route does not cross any areas where Bryde\u2019s whales are densely distributed, but the whales may occasionally appear in nearby waters during construction.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its approval notice, the ministry stated that if endangered marine animals such as Bryde\u2019s whales are spotted, \u201cconstruction must be halted immediately and may resume only after the animals have swum away\u201d. This is a stricter requirement than what has been set out as mitigation measures in the EIA<\/a>, which states that ships must slow down and keep clear of the animal, and with construction to be halted if these measures fail. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bryde\u2019s whale population in China has faced increasing challenges from various human-induced activities in recent years, including whale watching. The waters around Weizhou Island are the only place in the country for this activity, and the area has risen in popularity among tourists, notes<\/a> Caixin. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whale watching has led the mammals to alter their behaviour. Research showed<\/a> that whale watching led to accelerated swimming speed and respiration in minke whales in Iceland largely due to stress, increasing their energy expenditure. A study tracking one specific Bryde\u2019s whale in China noted<\/a> that whale watching decreased the mammal\u2019s foraging frequency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mei Zhigang, a researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has proposed setting up China\u2019s first marine protected area for baleen whales in the waters off Weizhou and Xieyang Islands. Fishing activities should be prohibited within the core region of the proposed protected area, and whale watching areas scientifically designated, he told<\/a> Caixin last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Dialogue Earth\u2019s recent <\/em>story<\/em><\/a> on NGOs fighting to stop reef blasting of a Chinese white dolphin habitat.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An underwater natural gas pipeline near an endangered whale species habitat has been approved by the government, with some additional requirements<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60004223,"template":"","categories":[764],"tags":[523,40027778],"country":[20000110],"digest-collection":[50039911],"class_list":["post-60149130","news_digest","type-news_digest","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","tag-conservation","tag-marine-protection","country-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUnderwater gas project near south China whale habitat approved | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An underwater natural gas pipeline near an endangered whale species habitat has been approved by the government, with some additional requirements\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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