Ganges River Dolphin

Context:

Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti released a guide for the safe rescue and release of stranded Ganges River Dolphins.

• The document has been prepared by the Turtle Survival Alliance and the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department (EFCCD) of the Uttar Pradesh Government.
• It was recognised as the National Aquatic Animal in 2009, by the Government of India.

Ganges River Dolphin

• The Ganges River Dolphins (Platanista Gangetica) was officially discovered in 1801. The original stretches where the National Aquatic Animal of India are found:

• Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River Systems and
• Karnaphuli-Sangu River Systems; of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh
• Scientific Name:Platanista gangetica gangetica.
• The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind
• An adult dolphin could weigh between 70 kg and 90 kg. The breeding season of the Gangetic dolphin extends from January to June.
• They feed on several species of fishes, invertebrates etc.
• They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounces off of fish and other prey, enabling them to “see” an image in their mind. They are also called ‘susu’.
• These Gangetic Dolphins also act as an indicator of the health status of the freshwater ecosystem as they can only thrive in freshwater ecosystems.
• The global population of the species is estimated at 4,000, and nearly 80% found in the Indian subcontinent.

Why is the Ganges River Dolphin National Aquatic Animal of India?

The reason to declare Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal of India was to save it from extinction. Also, the Ganges Dolphin is seen as the reflector of the health of the Ganga River. The declaration was made in 2009 in the National Ganga River Basin Authority’s (NGRBA) first meeting.

Conservation Status of Gangetic Dolphin

Threats to Ganges River Dolphin :

• Bycatch: These dolphins and people both favor areas of the river where fish are plentiful and the water current is slower. This has led to fewer fish for people and more dolphins dying as a result of accidentally being caught in fishing nets, also known as bycatch.
• Pollution: Industrial, agricultural, and human pollution is another serious cause of habitat degradation.
• Dams: Construction of dams and other irrigation-related projects make them susceptible to inbreeding and more vulnerable to other threats because they cannot move to new areas.
  
  
  • Dolphins below a dam are threatened by heavy pollution, increased fishing activities and vessel traffic. They also have less food because dams disturb the migration, breeding cycles and habitat of fish and other prey.

Difference between Indus and Ganges Dolphins:

Conservation Status:

• Indian Wildlife (Protection), Act 1972: Schedule I.
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Endangered.
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): Appendix I (most endangered).
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix II (migratory species that need conservation and management or would significantly benefit from international co-operation).

Steps Taken:

• Project Dolphin: The Prime Minister announced the government’s plan to launch a Project Dolphin in his Independence Day Speech 2020. It is on the lines of Project Tiger, which has helped increase the tiger population.
• Dolphin Sanctuary: Vikramshila Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary has been established in Bihar.
• National Ganga River Dolphin Day: The National Mission for Clean Ganga celebrates 5^th October as National Ganga River Dolphin Day.
• Conservation Plan: The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020, which “identified threats to Gangetic Dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on Dolphins populations”.

Source: The Hindu

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