Photo retrieved from: www.wanderlust.co.uk
“The Department of Forest has initially proposed to declare 32 kilometres of Pashur and Andharmanik rivers and their channels in Dhangmari, Chandpai and Dudhmukhi areas in the eastern Sundarbans as dolphin sanctuaries.
“Soon the ministry will issue an order on the proposed sanctuaries, following which fishing will be restricted in those areas,” Tapan Kumar Dey, forest conservator (wildlife section), told The Daily Star.
Hundreds of fishermen catch fish, shrimp and crab in the water bodies, known as a hotspot of dolphins, also a breeding ground for fish, he said.
The places were identified through a series of studies by Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project (BCDP) since 2002.
The waterways of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, are the lone habitat of around 676 freshwater mammals — 225 of Ganges river species and 451 of Irrawaddy — the largest population in a single habitat.
These dolphins are among the world’s most endangered mammals.
Although the animals are not targeted directly, they often get entangled in fishing nets and die in dozens every year. They are also threatened by the rising salinity and pollution.”
Read more: The Daily Star
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