1. Aquatic mammals worldwide are highly threatened in freshwater ecosystems where they are affected by direct human activities (e.g. hunting) as well as indirect human alteration of freshwater ecosystems (e.g. dams, mining activity). Although aquatic mammals of the Amazon Basin are experiencing many growing threats, little is known about the escalating impacts on them, current limitations in protection mechanisms, and possible strategies to ensure their conservation. This study synthesizes the available information on Amazonian aquatic mammals, including the ecological characteristics of these species, key threats, population status and conservation prospects.
2. Amazonian aquatic mammals comprise seven species – Inia geoffrensis, Inia boliviensis, Inia araguaiaensis, Sotalia fluviatilis, Trichechus inunguis, Pteronura brasiliensis and Lontra longicaudis – which are characterized by low reproductive rates and keystone ecosystem roles. These species are endangered mainly by biological resource use, natural ecosystem modifications, energy production and mining, and climate change. Although information is sparse, there is evidence that these threats are inducing population declines of Inia spp., and hindering the recovery of populations of P. brasiliensis.
3. Protection mechanisms for these species mostly include national and international laws and agreements, legislation governing environmental licensing and protected areas. Each of these protection mechanisms, however, has limited capacity to protect Amazonian aquatic mammals, largely because they are poorly enforced, lack transnational coordination or require population trend data that do not exist.
4. Reversing the current state of affairs for Amazonian aquatic mammals requires an integrated research and policy approach that, at a minimum, substantially increases the present capacity to monitor their population responses to human impacts, establishes effective enforcement of existing legislation and prevents further impacts from hydropower development. To implement such an approach, information on the ecology of these species is necessary to create public and scientific awareness.

中文翻译：

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亚马逊水生哺乳动物的保护

1. 世界范围内的水生哺乳动物在淡水生态系统中受到高度威胁，在那里它们受到人类直接活动（例如狩猎）以及人类对淡水生态系统的间接改变（例如水坝，采矿活动）的影响。尽管亚马逊河流域的水生哺乳动物正面临着越来越多的威胁，但对它们的影响不断加剧，保护机制目前的局限性以及确保其保护的可能策略知之甚少。这项研究综合了有关亚马逊水生哺乳动物的可用信息，包括这些物种的生态特征，主要威胁，种群状况和保护前景。
2. 亚马孙水生哺乳动物包括七个物种-伊亚格奥尔夫纳（Inia geoffrensis），伊亚玻利维亚（Inia boliviensis），伊亚拉瓜尼亚（Inia araguaiaensis），索菲亚索非亚（Sotalia fluviatilis），毛che虫（Trichechus inunguis），巴西蕨（Pteronura brasiliensis）和长背龙（Lontra longicaudis），它们的繁殖率低且具有重要的生态系统作用。这些物种主要受到生物资源利用，自然生态系统改造，能源生产和开采以及气候变化的威胁。尽管信息稀少，但有证据表明，这些威胁正在导致伊尼亚属种群下降，并阻碍了巴西假单胞菌种群的恢复。
3. 对这些物种的保护机制主要包括国家和国际法律和协议，管理环境许可的法律和保护区。但是，每种保护机制保护亚马逊水生哺乳动物的能力有限，主要是因为它们执行不力，缺乏跨国协调或需要不存在的种群趋势数据。
4. 扭转亚马逊水生哺乳动物的当前状况需要一种综合的研究和政策方法，该方法至少应大大提高目前监测其种群对人类影响的反应的能力，建立有效的现行法规并防止水电开发的进一步影响。为了实施这种方法，必须有关于这些物种生态的信息，以建立公众和科学认识。