Half of world's Irrawaddy dolphins in Bangladesh: survey

[Homo Sapiens]

https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/half-worlds-irrawaddy-dolphins-bangladesh-survey-1651597
12:00 AM, October 25, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:53 AM, October 25, 2018
Half of world's Irrawaddy dolphins in Bangladesh: survey


Staff Correspondent

The Sundarbans and its adjacent areas are one of the major sanctuaries of two globally-endangered river dolphins, Ganges River Dolphin and Irrawaddy Dolphin, an ongoing survey has found.

Six hotspots and some semi-hotspots of the two species of dolphins have already been identified there. The hotspots and semi-hotspots cover an area of around 982 square kilometres.

Findings of the survey, which will be concluded in 2019, were shared at the inauguration ceremony of International Freshwater Dolphin Day yesterday, at Liberation War Museum in Dhaka. Forest Department, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) jointly conducted the survey under a project titled “Expanding the Protected Area System to Incorporate Important Aquatic Ecosystem (EPASIIAE)”.

ABM Sarowar Alam, project manager of IUCN and a researcher of the survey, told The Daily Star that the Irrawaddy dolphins are in better conditions in Bangladesh than any other parts of the world.

“Irrawaddy dolphins are critically endangered. Their global population is around 7,000, and at least half of them are currently living in the country, which is remarkable,” said Sarowar.


Monirul H Khan, a professor of Jahangirnagar University who led the survey, said dolphins are threatened here, but they could survive as the country has many estuarine and sufficient fish to eat in rivers.

Incidental killing by fishing nets, poison fishing, decrease of freshwater flow and siltation are major threats to dolphins, he said.

The survey also found that seven species of dolphin currently inhabit Bangladesh. Apart from the aforementioned two, the other species are found in Bay of Bengal.

Environment Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and Deputy Minister Abdullah Al Islam Jacob also spoke at the event.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Irrawaddy is the principal river of myanmar. But it's dolphin mainly prefer to live in Bangladeshi water. Seems like even the intelligent mammal Dolphin are fed up with burmese buddhist extremism and took refugee in a more tolerant environment.

 

[Destranator]

Irrawaddy is the principal river of myanmar. But it's dolphin mainly prefer to live in Bangladeshi water. Seems like even the intelligent mammal Dolphin are fed up with burmese buddhist extremism and took refugee in a more tolerant environment.

Irrawaddy dolphins are illegal Bangladeshi mammals in Myanmar. They tend to attack Burmese police check points.

 

[ghost250]

Irrawaddy dolphins are illegal Bangladeshi mammals in Myanmar. They tend to attack Burmese police check points.

 

[waz]

Dear Bangladesh please take care of these little guys. Sadly many river dolphins are under threat due to rvier pollution and haphazard methods of fishing.
Bangladesh has wonderful wildlife.

 

[UKBengali]

Irrawaddy is the principal river of myanmar. But it's dolphin mainly prefer to live in Bangladeshi water. Seems like even the intelligent mammal Dolphin are fed up with burmese buddhist extremism and took refugee in a more tolerant environment.

 

[bluesky]

Dear Bangladesh please take care of these little guys. Sadly many river dolphins are under threat due to rvier pollution and haphazard methods of fishing.
Bangladesh has wonderful wildlife.

Thanks for your concern. The mentality of people has profoundly changed comparing to the old time. Dolphins are fully protected by the govt laws, and people do not want to harm them.

Even many migratory birds from Siberia visit and settle in the water bodies somewhere in Savar during winter every year. They fly back home to Siberian when the air gets warmer there. People enjoy the sights and the students of Jahangir Nagar University are vigilant over their welfare.

Please click the link below to know more about Dolphins in the NW BoB near the Sundarbans.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-15517214

 

[mb444]

Dear Bangladesh please take care of these little guys. Sadly many river dolphins are under threat due to rvier pollution and haphazard methods of fishing.
Bangladesh has wonderful wildlife.

People of sundarbans actually look after the dolphins. I have seen it with own eyes, the fisherman's are assisted by the dolphins in fishing .... they direct the fisherman's to shoals of fish and in return the fisherman throws part of their catch back to the pods of dolphins.

It's a fascinating site... not too sure how it is done but from what I saw the pods of dolphins strafe both the sides of the rivers forcing the fish to the centre of the channel where fisherman drop their nets. The sides of the rivers are populated by trees where the fish usually go escape the dolphins as they are too big to go into the reeds. So they swim very fast on the both sides to confuse the fish and force them into the centre of the channel.

Everyone there also strictly never ever fish the dolphins.

 

[Bilal9]

I think the 'swatch of no ground' area in the Sundarban coast is the natural abode of these dolphins.

Biological Diversity of Swatch-of-No-Ground, Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh
Posted By: Dr. Anisuzzaman Khan
on: May 11, 2018 1:36 am
In: Common, Ecology & Biodiversity, Education, Environment, Featured, National News, NRB
Email
#thenewscompany : Bangladesh has won the sea victory in a suit filed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, its amount is more than one lakh kilometers, which is equal to another Bangladesh.

The present government is working under the SDG not only on the surface of the sea, but also on the life of the sea.

Beginning from where the Sundarban ends in the south of Bangladesh, starting from the voyage Another 185 kilometers south of the trip, the vast kingdom of blue waterside, which is called Swatch of No Ground, That is, there is no floor. The reserve area ‘Swatch of no Ground’ or SONG, which is comprised of one 73,700 hectares of the Bay of Bengal, is one of the 11 deepest canyons in the world, which was built 1,25,000 years ago.

















This is first preliminary observation report of a series of three expeditions carried out in the Bay of Bengal by Isabela Foundation to learn the present state marine biota at Swatch of No Ground (SoNG). The expeditions was organized jointly by Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and Isabela Foundation in collaboration with Bangladesh Navy during 2017 and 2018. All three expeditions was led by Mr. Kabir Bin Anwar, Chairperson Isablela Foundation and participated by scientists from University of Chittagong, Bangladesh River Research Institute, members of Prime Minister’s Office and member’s of Isablela Foundation.

World’s second largest hole is found in Bay of Bengal, Swatch of no Ground a trough-shaped marine valley or canyon that cross the continental shelf diagonally and situated on the south of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. It is also known as Ganga Trough.

Secondary information of various sources revealed that Similar delta-front troughs are found off the mouth of the Indus River known as Indus Trough and off the West Side of the Mississipi delta, the Mississipi Trough. Swatch of no Ground has a comparatively flat floor 5 to 10 km wide and walls of about 12′ inclination. At the edge of the shelf, depths in the trough is about 1,200m. It has been suggested that the Swatch of no Ground has a seaward continuation for almost 2,000 km down the Bay of Bengal in the form of fan valleys with levees.

The sandbars and ridges near the mouth of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta pointing toward the Swatch of no Ground indicate that sediments are tunneled through this trough into the deeper part of the Bay of Bengal. Slumps, growth faults and evidence of mass movement coupled with high sedimentation rates near the Swatch of no Ground provide dramatic evidence that modern sediment is being channeled off-shelf through the submarine canyon to the Bengal Fan.

Studies on the Bengal deep sea fansuggest that Swatch of no Ground is feeding the Bengal Fan by turbidity currents. Most of the sediment of the Bengal Deep Sea Fan has been derived from the confluent of Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, which drain the south and north slopes of the Himalayan, respectively. Under the present condition perhaps low-density turbidity currents and sand cascading are perhaps dominating process of sediment transport from the shelf to the deep sea through the Swatch of no Ground.

There is some controversy regarding the origin of Swatch of no Ground. However, it is generally believed that during the Pleistocene (2-0.1million years ago) lower sea level, Ganga-Brahmaputra River was discharging its sediment load directly on the shelf edge. Combination effect of river flow and turbidity currents generated at the shelf break and upper slope was responsible for the formation of the Swatch of no Ground. Evidence from the Bengal Deep-Sea Fan also tends to support this view. It has been observed that turbidity currents during the Pleistocene lower sea level dominated sedimentation on the Bengal Deep-Sea Fan and the sediments were distributed on the fan by a system submarine channel originating from the Swatch of no Ground.

Swatch-of-No- Ground (SoNG) a mysterious sub-marine canyon in the Bay of Bengal which is geologically, hydrologically and ecologically a less studied marine ecosystem on earth. Some preliminary information of the area storied mainly by the sailors of olden days which portrayed as hearsay and myths pertaining to it’s depth, water current and sightings of mega fauna like Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises, Sharks, Fish and Turtles . The area mapped by the shippers and sailors as an important corridor navigational route between Asia and Pacific during pre-historic era.

Very recently, Bangladesh Navy conducted a hydrological mapping of the area to learn about the depths, currents and hydro-morphology of the canyon and some wildlife researchersfrom IUCN/SSC/Cetacean Specialist group with support of Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) UK.and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) USA. visited the place and reported sightings of marine mammals and some seabirds of the area.

Based on the preliminary study and findings on the marine mammals species richness a part of SoNG had declared as Marine Protected Area (MPA) by the MoEF under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012. in 2014. MOEF and UNDP is in the process of developing a project for studying and managing the MPA at SoNG.

Mr.Kabir Bin Anwar Director General, administration of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Bangladesh with his personal inquisitiveness and interest on SoNG organized RECOs under the banner of Isabela Foundation (IF) with support from MoFL and Bangladesh Navy.









The present note reviewed the secondary information available on the subject and jotted the preliminary findings of the expedition. This occasional paper describes the dire need of a long term management strategy to conserve marine biodiversity; a strategy incorporating impacts on habitat, and the biological, social and economic factors of fishing. It also propose new management tools including knowing ,learning marine biodiversity and using sustainably the biological resources and finally guiding MPA management regime to maintain marine biodiversity and sustain fisheries.

The total number of marine species in the regions, and globally, is still uncertain because so many species remain to be sampled, distinguished, identified and described. An estimated 25%–80% of species remained to be described in Australia, Japan, Mediterranean deep-sea, New Zealand, and South Africa, also regions of high species richness. We may expect the proportion of undescribed species to be toward the higher end of this range for the tropics of Asia and the Pacific. Thus, the proportion of undiscovered species may be close to 70%–80% of all marine species. The current estimate of described species is 230,000 suggesting there may be 1 million to 1.4 million marine species living on Earth.

Marine Biological diversity of Bangladesh is not yet inventoried and waiting lots of discoveries as far as it Ichthyofauna, Herpetofauna, Avifauna and invertebrates are concerned. Some sporadic survey carried out by BOB/FAO and BLOMBE programme to understand the species diversity and stock of marine fish. A preliminary checklist of marine mollusks and shell fish is available. But the occurrence, distribution and abundance invertebrate fauna is still remain unexplored.

A complete Report can be Found HERE with the full Credentials and references.

Image Courtesy : ISABELA Foundation & Respective Photographers .

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Bangladesh has procured a new-build fisheries research vessel RV Meen Sandhani from Malaysia. Another fisheries research vessel is under build process locally at KSY.

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

Irrawaddy is the principal river of myanmar. But it's dolphin mainly prefer to live in Bangladeshi water. Seems like even the intelligent mammal Dolphin are fed up with burmese buddhist extremism and took refugee in a more tolerant environment.

How do they taste? Looks like they have good protein.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

How do they taste? Looks like they have good protein.

I do not think dolphin are eaten in Bangladesh. But I am not sure. Even if, it is a very rarity.

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

I do not think dolphin are eaten in Bangladesh. But I am not sure. Even if, it is a very rarity.

It is mouth watering...

Periodically available at ReykjavÃk harbour front restaurant Tveir Fiskar, dolphin is tender, light in texture, and melts in the mouth. Dolphin meat is near black in colour, just to add some more dark symbolism, and it is highly likely to rank as the guiltiest culinary pleasure available anywhere in the world. Just try and stop yourself making Flipper noises afterwards…

http://www.roadjunky.com/2271/anyone-for-dolphin-the-delights-of-icelandic-cuisine/

 

[Homo Sapiens]

It is mouth watering...

Periodically available at ReykjavÃk harbour front restaurant Tveir Fiskar, dolphin is tender, light in texture, and melts in the mouth. Dolphin meat is near black in colour, just to add some more dark symbolism, and it is highly likely to rank as the guiltiest culinary pleasure available anywhere in the world. Just try and stop yourself making Flipper noises afterwards…

http://www.roadjunky.com/2271/anyone-for-dolphin-the-delights-of-icelandic-cuisine/

I find it abhorrent that 'civilized' Icelandic people are killing and eating dolphin. Dolphin is the most intelligent species in the world after human. It's intelligence is only slightly lower than human. It has a complex, thoughtful mind, has a wide range of emotion. There should be a global ban on hunting and eating dolphin.

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

I find it abhorrent that 'civilized' Icelandic people are killing and eating dolphin. Dolphin is the most intelligent species in the world after human. It's intelligence is only slightly lower than human. It has a complex, thoughtful mind, has a wide range of emotion. There should be a global ban on hunting and eating dolphin.

Let's not be emotional idiots here. Meat is meat. It does not matter if it is from Humans or Dolphins or Elephants or dogs or snakes or pigs or cows.

 

[bluesky]

It is mouth watering...

Periodically available at ReykjavÃk harbour front restaurant Tveir Fiskar, dolphin is tender, light in texture, and melts in the mouth. Dolphin meat is near black in colour, just to add some more dark symbolism, and it is highly likely to rank as the guiltiest culinary pleasure available anywhere in the world. Just try and stop yourself making Flipper noises afterwards…

http://www.roadjunky.com/2271/anyone-for-dolphin-the-delights-of-icelandic-cuisine/

Instead of watering your mouth you should learn more about the intelligence of dolphins. They are only second to the human. Should we bring out saliva in our mouth by imagining the eating of a human-like animal of the water? We should appreciate their existence and the human has the responsibility to protect it from the dirty teeth of inhuman monkey like you. Click the link below to know more about dolphins.
http://understanddolphins.tripod.com/dolphinbrainandintelligence.html