The halt of the Kuokuang petrochemical project was considered as a victory for environmentalists in the protection of the Chinese White Dolphins.

However, a group of international dolphin experts are saying that the fishermen's equipment is also putting the lives of Chinese White Dolphins in danger, with over 30 percent of dolphins being injured by fishing tools.

The experts are calling the government to help establish a protection zone for them and to come up with measures to further protect the endangered species.

An American whale and dolphin conservation expert showed us the pictures of a Chinese White Dolphins that got trapped on the beach of Miaoli County in September of 2009.

He had been tracing the Chinese White Dolphin, numbered TW03 for nearly 7 years, and had developed a close bond with it.

However, the dolphin eventually died from multiple injuries caused by fishermen's fishing tools.

Together with an international team of whale and dolphin experts, the American conservationist Wang Yueh-han established a Chinese White Dolphin research technology consulting group to preserve the whales and dolphins along Taiwan's eastern coast.

According to their research, over 30% of the Chinese White Dolphins around Taiwan carry scars caused by various fishing equipments.

Some of them were drowned after getting caught in fishing nets, while some others suffered from wounds caused by barbed nets.

Experts said that in order to protect the dolphins, fishermen must find other ways to catch fish.

They have also pointed out that besides the fishing industry, noise and water pollution, while declining fresh water resources and habitat all pose serious threats to the dolphins as well as to the fishing industry itself.

Therefore, they are urging the government to set up a marine protection zone for dolphins, which will both benefit the dolphins and the fishing industry.