Protection of Dolphins in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary 16/07/2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags:

VIKRAMSHILA GANGETIC DOLPHIN SANCTUARY

 

For: Preliminary

Topics covered: About the dolphin sanctuary, threats, measures

 

News Flash

The population of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin has declined at the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary.

  • The sanctuary is situated in Bhagalpur district of Bihar.
  • It is India’s only sanctuary for its national aquatic animal.
  • In a survey, it is found that the number of dolphins in the sanctuary had declined to 154 from 207 in 2015.

 

Reasons/ Threats

  • Noise pollution by vessels
  • Hit by propellers of vessels
  • Plastic pollution
  • Pollution by fertilizers, pesticides and industrial effluents
  • Poachers kill dolphins for their flesh, fat, and oil
  • Multiple dams and barriers
  • Accidental entanglement in fishing nets

 

Measures

  • Government is restricting the speeds of vessels to 2.7 knots and blow horns in VGDS to safeguard the dolphins.
  • Vessels are going through National Waterway-1 which is connecting Haldia to Varanasi passes.
  • VGDS covers the Sultanganj-Kahalgaon stretch of NW-1.
  • Fitting vessels with propeller guards and dolphin deflectors to minimize dolphin accidents.
  • Use of non-toxic paints for painting vessels.

 

Vikramshilla Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary

  • VGDS came into existence in 1991.
  • It is a protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia.
  • The Gangetic dolphins have been declared as the National Aquatic Animal of India.
  • The Sanctuary contains a rich diversity of other threatened aquatic wildlife, including:

(i) Indian smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)

(ii) Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)

(iii) A variety of freshwater turtles, and 135 species of waterfowl.

 

Ganges River Dolphins

  • Classified as endangered on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  • It is included in Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • Scientific name: Platanista gangetica

Important facts

  • The Ganges river dolphin was officially discovered in 1801.
  • Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
  • The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind.
  • They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounces off of fish and other prey, enabling them to “see” an image in their mind.

 

Source: Down to Earth

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