Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises are found mainly in coastal waters, including shallow bays, mangrove swamps, and estuaries. They can also occur quite far from shore (up to 240 km) in waters

Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises appear to have a strong preference for waters with a sandy or soft bottom (Jefferson and Hung 2004).

Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoises are found mainly in coastal waters, including shallow bays, possibly mangrove swamps, estuaries, and some large rivers. However, they can also occur in shallow waters (<200 m deep) quite far from shore (up to 240 km). They appear to have a strong preference for waters with a sandy or soft bottom (Jefferson and Hung 2004).

In Japanese waters, finless porpoises prefer shallow depths (<50 m) and close proximity to the shore (<5 km). In the shallow East China Sea, proximity to the shore does not appear to be as important (Amano 2002).

Small fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans (mainly demersal species) form the diet of finless porpoises (see Jefferson and Hung 2004).

• 1996
  Endangered
• 1996
  Endangered

Finless porpoises are small and cryptic and therefore difficult to survey. Estimates of abundance have been made for only a few areas (Jefferson and Hung 2004, IWC 2006) but mostly in regions where the Narrow-ridged species (N. asiaeorientalis) dominates, if not exists solely.

Numbers of Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises in Hong Kong and adjacent waters were estimated to be at least 217 (CV= 21-150%) (Jefferson et al. 2002a). An estimate for the coastal waters of Bangladesh was 1,382 (CV=55%) but the density was very low compared to reported densities of Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoises in Japanese waters (Smith et al. 2008).

Finless porpoises, like other phocoenids (Jefferson and Curry 1994), are extremely susceptible to entanglement in gillnets, and large numbers have been, and continue to be, killed in many parts of their range (Jefferson et al. 2002b). Finless porpoises are caught in nets in Iranian, Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian coastal waters, although there are no good estimates of the magnitude of such catches (e.g., see Collins et al. 2005, Jaaman et al. 2009, Braulik et al. 2010). In East Malaysia, finless porpoises are caught as bycatch in ‘fish stakes’ in Sabah (Jaaman et al. 2009) and one individual was found entangled in the line of a crab trap in Sarawak (G. Minton pers. comm. 2011). Yang et al. (1999) reported that finless porpoises were the most frequently captured cetaceans in fishing gear along the Chinese coast and estimated that more than 2,000 were taken in 1994, mainly in trawl, gill, and stow nets. In the waters of western Taiwan (where the two species of finless porpoises are sympatric), a considerable number of both species are taken in trammel nets, trawl nets, stow nets, and other gear (Wang unpublished data). In Hong Kong waters, porpoises are caught regularly by trawl nets and gillnets, but there are no estimates of bycatch levels (Parsons and Jefferson 2000, Jefferson et al. 2002b). Given the numbers and types of net fisheries in Chinese coastal waters, the apparently high bycatch of finless porpoises (e.g. Zhou and Wang 1994, Yang et al. 1999) is a serious concern. No large-scale direct hunting of this species is known to occur. In some parts of their range, people apparently are averse to eating finless porpoises (Kasuya 1999, Wang unpublished data) but in other areas they are consumed.

As a coastal species, the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise is also affected by habitat loss and degradation, boat traffic, and pollution. The extensive modification of coastlines for shrimp farming, causeways and harbor (and other) development throughout Asia (including the Arabian Gulf) means that there is less habitat for finless porpoises (Reeves et al. 2003, Braulik et al. 2010). Although pathology related to contaminant exposure has not been reported in finless porpoises, pollution is considered a potentially serious threat (Kasuya 1999, Iwata et al. 1994, Parsons and Chan 1998, Minh et al. 1999, Parsons 1999, Jefferson et al. 2002b, Ramu et al. 2005). The number of reported small cetacean strandings in Hong Kong has increased in recent years, partly due to increasing public awareness of local cetaceans, but also possibly due to escalating levels of human disturbance and pollution (T.A. Jefferson pers. comm. 2007). In the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman/Sea of Oman, chemicals from recent wars exacerbate total pollution loads in coastal waters from the usual sources such as industry, agriculture and households (Braulik et al. 2010). Vessel collisions, especially involving high-speed ferries, may be a particular problem for porpoises in Hong Kong (Parsons and Jefferson 2000).

The following summary of examples illustrates the problems faced by this species:

In Chinese waters (excluding the considerable fisheries operating in Taiwanese waters), more than 3.5 million gillnets were estimated to be in use in the early 1990s (Zhou and Wang 1994). In India, the use of gillnets reportedly had increased from about 18,000 in 1950 to more than 216,000 by 1980 and gillnets were also being used extensively in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Mohan 1994). Since the time of those reports, gillnetting effort certainly would have increased considerably in these and other regions because there are few (if any) restrictions on this kind of fishing gear anywhere in the range of the species. Porpoise habitat in Myanmar is heavily fished with gillnets and other types of gear capable of taking small cetaceans incidentally (Smith and Than Tun 2008). A drift gillnet fishery for elasmobranchs is of concern in the Bangladesh Sundarbans (Smith et al. 2008). In East Malaysia, Finless Porpoise numbers are thought to have ‘greatly declined’ due to bycatch in fisheries (Jaaman et al. 2009), and commercial fishing (gillnetting, trawling, purse-seining) is intensive off Langkawi, Peninsular Malaysia, where bycatch of Finless Porpoises is known to occur even though it is not monitored regularly (L. Ponnampalam pers. comm. 2011). Surveys in the coastal waters of Vietnam resulted in very few sightings of cetaceans; none of the sightings were of Finless Porpoises yet local whale temples contained numerous cetacean skulls, including many from finless porpoises (Smith et al. 1997). The impacts of war several decades ago, compounded by intense fishing (especially the use of gillnets) in recent years and ongoing, are likely at least partly responsible for the near absence of cetaceans from these waters. In Iran (Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman/Sea of Oman), bycatch in fisheries appears to be the greatest threat to marine mammals and takes from apparently small, localized populations of Finless Porpoises may be unsustainable (Braulik et al. 2010). Two major marine mammal die-offs occurred in the Arabian Gulf in the 1980s and 1990s, possibly related to major oil spills (Collins et al. 2005). Even in the 1970s, Finless Porpoise sightings in Pakistani coastal waters around the Indus Delta region were apparently decreasing (Pilleri and Gihr 1972, Pilleri and Pilleri 1979) and by the 1990s the species may have virtually disappeared from this badly degraded area (see Reeves et al. 1997). The Finless Porpoise was one of several cetacean species thought to have disappeared from large parts of their previous ranges in Thailand, largely as a result of coastal habitat degradation and fisheries (IWC 1994).

Direct killing or capture of Finless Porpoises appears to be relatively rare (Reeves et al. 1997) but development of intentional fisheries for marine mammals from incidental captures (and economic benefits from subsequent consumption and marketing) may have increased in parts of Southeast Asia as preferred marine resources have been over-fished (see Perrin 2002).

Finless porpoises, like other phocoenids (Jefferson and Curry 1994), are extremely susceptible to entanglement in gillnets, and large numbers have been, and continue to be, killed in many parts of their range. In Japan Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoises become entangled in a variety of types of fishing gear. Changes in fishing methods may have reduced the incidental catch in some areas such as western Kyushu (Kasuya 1999), but substantial numbers are still being taken in gill nets and other fishing gear. A total of 114 specimens were collected in Japan during 1985–1992 from western and north-eastern Kyushu including parts of the western Inland Sea (Shirakihara et al. 1993): 84 of them had been killed incidentally in fisheries, 25 had been found dead on the beach or in the sea, and there was no information on the other five. Fishing gears that killed the 84 porpoises were bottom-set gill nets (58), surface gill nets (17), trap nets (7), trawl nets (1) and drifting (ghost) nets (1). Such fishing gears aree common in Japan and probably kill finless porpoises off other coasts, although usually such catches go unreported. Yang et al. (1999) reported that finless porpoises were the most frequently captured cetaceans in fishing gear along the Chinese coast and estimated that more than 2,000 were taken in 1994, mainly in trawl, gill, and stow nets. In the waters of western Taiwan, including the Matsu and Chinmen Islands (western Taiwan Strait), a considerable number of finless porpoises are taken in trammel nets, trawl nets, stow nets, and other gear (J.Y. Wang unpublished). Given the numbers and types of net fisheries in Chinese coastal waters (e.g. Zhou and Wang 1994, Yang et al. 1999), there are serious concerns about the level of bycatch of both finless porpoise species. Although illegal, electric fishing became widespread in the Yangtze River during the 1990s, and it probably kills porpoises outright and contributes to the depletion of their prey (Reeves et al. 2000).

In some parts of their range, there is an aversion to eating finless porpoises (Kasuya 1999, J.Y. Wang unpublished). However, there is a long history of porpoises taken incidentally being sold for human consumption in at least parts of Japan (e.g., Mizue et al. 1965) and on the Korean peninsula (IWC 2000). From an analysis of the species composition of odontocete products in Korean markets during 2003–2004, it was estimated that the true catch of finless porpoises in Korean waters during this period was probably about four times the officially reported catch of 142 animals (Baker et al. 2006).

As coastal and riverine animals, Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoises are also affected by habitat loss and degradation, boat traffic, and pollution. The extensive modification of coastlines for shrimp farming and rampant harbor (and other) development throughout East Asia means that there is less habitat for finless porpoises (Reeves et al. 2003). Porpoise habitat in the Yangtze River system has been degraded by water development, including the Gezhouba and Three Gorges dams and about 1300 smaller dams in tributaries (Liu et al. 2000, Smith et al. 2000). Sand mining is intensive in Poyang Lake, until recently a stronghold for Yangtze finless porpoises (Zhao et al. 2008). Although pathology related to contaminant exposure has not been reported in Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoises, pollution is considered a potentially serious threat (Kasuya 1999; see Kannan et al. 1989; Iwata et al. 1994, 1995; Le et al. 1999; Zhao et al. 2008).

A recent survey of levels and drivers of human-caused mortality carried out in 27 fishing settlements along the middle-lower Yangtze channel identified three main categories of observed porpoise deaths: (1) interaction with fishing gear, (2) vessel strikes, and (3) unknown cause (S.T. Turvey pers. comm. 2011). A total of 344 dated porpoise mortality events directly observed by informants between 1950 and 2008 were reported, including 75 porpoise deaths from 1989–1998 and 147 from 1999–2008. This change was driven by the greater number of deaths attributed to vessel strikes (19 to 35) and unknown causes (31 to 94) in the more recent decade. Comparison of the reported mortality with the estimated abundance suggests that the fraction of individuals removed from the declining porpoise population in the Yangtze has quadrupled over the course of two decades. Turvey concluded that entanglement in rolling hook long-lines is probably responsible for the greatest number of porpoise deaths in fishing gear and that vessel strikes and other anthropogenic factors, such as electrofishing, are likely now the dominant and increasing causes of mortality in the Yangtze.

The causes of an apparent decline in porpoise numbers in the Inland Sea of Japan are not fully understood but include incidental mortality in fisheries as well as various forms of habitat degradation (IWC 2000, 2006). Parts of the coastal regions of the Inland Sea are highly developed and industrialized so the associated threats of habitat loss and pollution are suspected to have had some (undetermined) level of impact

The species (which presently also includes N. asiaeorientalis) is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and in Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). Management measures are needed to address the threats, especially bycatch in fisheries.