KARACHI: To monitor the migration pattern, movement and behaviour of the Indus River dolphin, WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with the Sindh Wildlife Department and Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department plans to place satellite tags on three dolphins in the near future.
The first Indus River dolphin was tagged in 2009, which provided valuable information about the species and demonstrated scientifically that dolphins could pass upstream and downstream Sukkur barrage.
The planned tagging will also help generate information about impact of seasonal variation, changes in freshwater flows and quality of the water. This was stated by World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) through a press release on World River Dolphin Day 2020.Classified as endangered, the Indus River dolphin or blind dolphin (locally called Bhulan) is a freshwater cetacean, endemic to the Indus River system.
Although it is challenging to tag Indus dolphins due to their small dorsal fins and surfacing for just a few seconds, starting with a small number is a good idea to test how the tags work and generate valuable information about this freshwater species. WWF-Pakistan believes that Pakistan offers this unique tagging opportunity as dolphins are regularly rescued from canals.
Commenting on the population range and threats to the Indus River dolphin, Dr. Uzma Khan, Asia Coordinator, River Dolphins River Initiative, WWF said that the Indus dolphin was found in all major rivers of Pakistan including Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Jhelum.
However, infrastructure development wiped out the population in these rivers and now it is only found in the Indus River with only six to eight dolphins existing in the Beas River section in India. She shared that a decline of around 80 per cent has been witnessed in the habitat range of the Indus River dolphin due to barrages. She was of the view that canal stranding is a regular feature and on average eight dolphins become trapped in canals every year, which are then physically translocated back to the mainstream of the Indus River. ‘Apart from habitat fragmentation, unsustainable and illegal fishing practices pose a threat to the population of the Indus River dolphin,’ she added.According to last survey conducted in 2017, a total of 1,816 dolphins were reported in the Indus River.
