December 2008
Special Events - GANGES RIVER DOLPHIN LECTURES

Conservation and biomonitoring in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, India, with focus on endangered Ganges river dolphins Platanista gangetica gangetica
Dr. Sunil K. Choudhary

Three lectures were scheduled in December at different venues throughout Seattle for three important segments of the population: general public/conservation at the Seattle Aquarium, academic/research at the UW, and governmental science/conservation at NMML.

• Seattle Aquarium on December 4 (12-1pm)
• University of Washington on December 8 (3-4pm) at the Van Blaricom lab.
• National Marine Mammal Laboratory on December 10 (noon-1pm)

Without a doubt, most of you are aware of the 2006 listing of the Baiji, or the Yangtze river dolphin, as "functionally extinct". Meaning, that even with a possible few individuals surviving, the species has no chance to recover and is lost forever. This disturbing news highlighted again the plight of dolphins and porpoises that make their home in rivers and coastal areas. Human development, over-fishing, hydroelectric dams, and pollution all have an immediate impact on these cetacean populations.

Dr. Sunil K. Choudhary, of the Vikramshila Biodiversity Research & Education Center (VBREC), Department of Botany, T. M. Bhagalpur University, in Bhagalpur, India, has been a Fulbright Fellow at the Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota, FL in 2008, and his visit to Seattle was cosponsored by the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society and Cetacean Research Technology

Dr. Choudhary talked to us about his work on the biomonitoring and conservation of the Ganges River dolphin.

Abstract:

After the recent declaration of the China's Yangtze River dolphin, Baiji Lipotes vexillifer as functionally extinct (Turvey et al., 2007), the focus is now towards strengthening efforts for conserving highly endangered (IUCN, 1996) Ganges river dolphins distributed in the Ganges - Bramhaputra - Meghna, and Karnaphuli - Sangu river systems of South Asia from the base of the Himalayan foothills to the Bay of Bengal. Ganges river dolphins have declined in abundance and in the extent of their range in recent past.

The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), a 60 km segment of the Ganges River, in Bihar State of India is the only protected area established specifically for the protection of Ganges river dolphins Platanista gangetica gangetica in the country, and probably in the world. The threats faced by Ganges river dolphins in VGDS in India are much like those of freshwater cetaceans in other countries of South Asia and marine cetaceans in America, including; incidental mortality in fisheries, habitat degradation and loss, and competition for marine or freshwater resources.

Establishing an effective Wildlife Sanctuary and protecting a specific (threatened) wildlife species anywhere is a challenging task. This is especially true in a dynamic environment such as the Ganges River, where the seasonal flood cycle causes massive changes in the landscape, both seasonally and from year to year. The challenge is also great because resources within the Sanctuary support one of the most economically impoverished human populations worldwide. Under extremely challenging circumstances, we (with assistance from Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, U.K) accomplished a great deal during last 8-years of research and education programs in VGDS.

We implemented a systematic program to monitor the abundance and habitat of dolphins and made opportunistic observation on the status of riverine birds and other aquatic fauna. We conducted regulatory surveys for assessing threats from wildlife hunting and destructive fishing practices, educating fishermen on govt. regulations regarding the use of living resources in the Sanctuary, rescuing wildlife found in the possession of fishermen or captured in illegal gears used by poachers and inhibiting illegal activities by our presence on the river. We educated govt. officials and lobbied them to restore civil control and enforce fishing and wildlife regulation. We strengthened community outreach and awareness activities with mass meetings and street theater performances on conserving dolphins and protecting fishermen.

As a result of our sustained conservation initiatives in VGDS, the number of dolphins increased from 95 - 98 (1998) to 175+ (2008). Ganges river dolphin is the flagship species and indicator of the health of the river, the river on which millions of people depend for their livelihood. So, the conservation of Ganges river dolphins and welfare of the people, both are interlinked issues.