19 dolphins rescued alive from canals of Ganga-Ghagra basin, says study

Subject : Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

A recent publication by scientists and researchers has revealed that 19 Gangetic river dolphins had been rescued from the irrigation canals of the Ganga-Ghagra basin in Uttar Pradesh between 2013 and 2020.

Details about the publication:

Titled ‘Rescuing Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica) from irrigation canals in Uttar Pradesh, North India, 2013–2020‘.
The publication details about:
- Highlights the capture and relocation methods
- Describes the behavioral and demographic details of rescued animals and locations of these canals where the animals had been trapped.

Key findings:

24 rescue operations had been conducted from 2013 to 2020 (19 successful rescue operations) and five dolphins had died.
Dams and barrages had severely affected this habitat as dolphins moved into irrigation canals where they were at a risk of injury or death from multiple factors, such as rapidly receding waters, heat stroke and human interferences.
The dolphins may either stray into the canal while following prey upstream or get flushed into the canal by a sudden discharge of water from the barrage gates.
Over 70% of entrapments were reported either post monsoon or during peak winter.

Global efforts to protect dolphins:

In 2016, the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) scientific committee recognised that both Ganges and Indus river dolphins require prompt and coordinated action to protect them from imminent threats.
In 2017, the IWC created the Asian River Dolphin Task Team (AR‐TT) to identify information gaps and research priorities and develop concerted action for the protection of the Ganges and Indus river species in their range.

Gangetic dolphins:

The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind.
They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds or by echolocation.
They are frequently found alone or in small groups, and generally a mother and calf travel together.
Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years to only one calf.
Gangetic dolphins are the national aquatic animal of India.
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has accorded the 5th October as National Dolphin Day in 2022.
The Ganges river dolphin is in:
- Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972,
- Endangered in IUCN Red list.
- Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and
- Appendix 1 of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

International Whaling Commission (IWC):

Formation: 2 December 1946
Headquarters: Impington, United Kingdom
Membership (2020): 88 nations
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a specialized regional fishery management organisation, established under the terms of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) to “provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry”.
Through the “Florianópolis Declaration” of 2018, members of the organization concluded that the purpose of the IWC is the conservation of whales and that they would now safeguard the marine mammals in perpetuity and would allow the recovery of all whale populations to pre-industrial whaling levels.
In response, Japan announced on 26 December 2018, that since the IWC failed its duty to promote sustainable hunting, which is one of its stated goals, Japan is withdrawing its membership and will resume commercial hunting in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone from July 2019, but will cease whaling activities in the Southern Hemisphere.

Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India:

Formed in 2001 and gaining nonprofit status in 2004, Turtle Survival Alliance is a global conservation organization that works to create a planet where tortoises and freshwater turtles can thrive in the wild.
These science-based initiatives are directed by local leaders, inspiring sustainable, community-based stewardship to prevent extinctions.
Where populations cannot yet thrive in the wild, our captive breeding programs preserve opportunities for their future survival.

Ghaghra river:

The Ghaghara River, called Karnali River in Nepal, Mapcha Tsangpo in Tibet, and the lower Ghaghara in Awadh called Sarayu River, is a perennial trans-boundary river that originates in the northern slopes of the Himalayas in the Tibetan Plateau, cuts through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the Sharda River at Brahmaghat in India.
Together they form the Ghaghara River, a major left bank tributary of the Ganges.
With a length of 507 km (315 mi) it is the longest river in Nepal. The total length of Ghaghara River up to its confluence with the Ganges at Revelganj in Bihar is 1,080 km (670 mi).
It is the largest tributary of the Ganges by volume and the second largest by length after Yamuna.
Tributaries:
- Left: Bheri, Kuwana, Rapti, Chhoti Gandak
- Right: Seti, Dahawar, Sarda, Budhi Ganga

Source: TH