Indus river dolphin

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Why in news?

• The census of one of the world’s most threatened cetaceans, the Indus river dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor) — a freshwater dolphin that is found in river Beas, is all set to commence in the winter as part of a project by the Centre.
• However, Punjab’s wildlife preservation wing has gone a step ahead to not only protect the dolphins but also their natural habitat.

The Indus river dolphin

• It is classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and, until recently, it was believed that these dolphins were endemic to Pakistan.
• But in 2007, a remnant but viable population of Indus dolphins was discovered in Punjab’s Harike wildlife sanctuary and in the lower Beas river.
• Since its discovery, research is being done by Punjab’s Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation in partnership with WWF-India on the current distribution, habitat use and population abundance of the mammal.
• The Indus river dolphin was declared the State aquatic animal of Punjab in 2019.
• The Beas river supports a viable population of several key aquatic species and was declared as the Beas Conservation Reserve in 2018.

Project Dolphin

• It aims at the conservation and protection of the Dolphins in rivers and oceans of the country. 
• It involves conservation of Dolphins and the aquatic habitat through the use of modern technology—specially in enumeration and anti-poaching activities. 
• It will engage the fishermen and other rivers and ocean dependent population and will strive for improving the livelihood of the local communities.
• It will help in the mitigation of pollution in rivers and the oceans.
• It will give a boost to biodiversity, create employment opportunities and act as a centre of attraction for tourism.

About South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica)

• It is an endangered freshwater or river dolphin found in the region of Indian subcontinent, which is split into two subspecies,
  • the Ganges river dolphin and the Indus river dolphin
• Ganges river dolphin is primarily found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers and their tributaries in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
• Indus river dolphin is found only in the main channel of the Indus River in Pakistan and in the River Beas (a tributary of the Indus) in Punjab in India.

1. The Ganges river dolphin has been recognized by the government of India as its National Aquatic Animal and is the official animal of the Indian city of Guwahati.
2. The Indus river dolphin has been named as the National Mammal of Pakistan.

Synonms

• Ganges subspecies: Gangetic dolphin, Ganges susu, shushuk (Being a mammal, the Ganges river dolphin cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30–120 seconds. Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the susu.
• Indus subspecies: bhulan, Indus dolphin, Indus blind dolphin

Distribution and habitat:

• The South Asian river dolphins are native to the freshwater river systems located in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

Ecological importance:

• The Gangetic dolphin is an indicator species, whose status provides information on the overall condition of the ecosystem and of other species in that ecosystem, for the Ganga ecosystem and is extremely vulnerable to changes in water quality and flow.

Conservation:

• International trade is prohibited by the listing of the South Asian river dolphin on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
• It is protected under the Indian Wildlife Act.
• Both subspecies are listed by the IUCN as endangered on their Red List of Threatened Species.
• The species is listed on Appendix I and Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.
• The Ministry of Environment and Forest declared the Gangetic dolphin the national aquatic animal of India.
• Dolphin Awareness Program (Phase - I) has been completed. Further strengthening of networking is being taken up in Phase- II with NGOs, schools and teachers in Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins.
• A stretch of the Ganges River between Sultanganj and Kahlgaon in Bihar has been declared a dolphin sanctuary and named Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, the first such protected area.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in its efforts of biodiversity conservation in Ganga River basin has been working further on the Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Action Plan and has taken up steps to coordinate with various institutions to:
• build capacity for Ganga River Dolphin Conservation and Management;
• minimize fisheries interface and incidental capture of Ganga River Dolphins;
• restore river dolphin habitats by minimizing and mitigating the impacts of developmental projects;
• involve communities and stakeholders for sustainable efforts in Ganga River Dolphin conservation;
• educate and create awareness and set off targeted research.

Major Threats

• Habitat loss /Degradation / Disturbances – Annual flood, Changing River course.
• Inland waterways / Movement of large cargo vessels.
• Various anthropogenic / religious activities.
• Excessive harvesting/hunting/food – subsistence use/ local trade.
• Directed killing/ poaching or Accidental killing – by catch/ fisheries related entanglements.
• Water pollution – Agriculture related or direct disposal of sewage – on both the banks of River/chemical.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/punjab-bats-for-conservation-of-indus-river-dolphin/article37275721.ece