Thailand, Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh : Asian Freshwater and Coastal Cetacean Program

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Asian Freshwater and Coastal Cetacean Program aims to further the conservation prospects of some of the world’s most endangered dolphins and porpoises.  The program’s goal is to prioritize and develop conservation initiatives and raise the capacity of local scientists and resource managers.

The Human Aspect
The program focuses on the impacts of human activities such as hunting and bycatch on cetacean population levels, and of those such as development and pollution that degrade their habitat. While the program emphasizes status assessments and the development of science-based approaches to conservation, it also trains local scientists and provides them with ongoing technical support. Program staff works in close collaboration with fishermen, NGOs, and government agencies to understand the conservation needs of freshwater and coastal cetaceans and develop management strategies to ensure their long-term survival.

Threats
Throughout South and Southeast Asia, dolphins, porpoises, and other large aquatic predators are disappearing. In the Ayeyarwady River of Myanmar, a recent status assessment of Irrawaddy dolphins conducted by scientists from the Myanmar WCS Country Program and the government’s Fisheries and Forestry Departments recorded a dangerously small population and a shrinking range. The study also documented large numbers of gillnets which entangle and kill dolphins; and intensive gold mining operations that use mercury, an element that may exert profound toxic effects on the animals. Despite the enormity of threats, a human-dolphin cooperative throw-net fishery practiced in the river offers an ideal opportunity for balancing the needs of local people with conserving this critically endangered dolphin population.

WCS Activities
The program aims to collaborate with local scientists who are investigating population sizes and habitats of Asian freshwater and coastal cetaceans and documenting the threats they face. The program then uses this information to develop and implement science-based conservation strategies.  Current projects include: protection and monitoring of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar; population and bycatch assessments of coastal cetaceans in the Bay of Bengal; development of a community-based action plan for conserving Irrawaddy dolphins in Songkhla Lake; strengthening conservation activities in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary; and promoting the establishment of a protected area for Ganges River dolphins in the Sangu River of Bangladesh. The program also strives to raise awareness among government officials, local people, and NGOs about the conservation needs of these cetaceans. Training workshops and field experience provided to local scientists enable them to independently devise and implement meaningful cetacean research and conservation in their own countries. The strong emphasis on research and training has resulted in new knowledge and an increase in the competence of local scientists and resources managers, both of which are essential for accomplishing effective freshwater and coastal cetacean conservation on a regional scale. All of this work is conducted in partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and others.

Important Next Steps

• Develop and implement science-based plans to establish protected areas for the conservation of small cetaceans and traditional fishing cultures.
• Involve local forestry and fishery department officials in cetacean conservation efforts, including monitoring, education, and enforcement of fisheries regulations.
• Develop educational materials and raise awareness about the conservation value and needs of freshwater and coastal cetaceans
• Promote cetaceans as seascape species for conserving aquatic biodiversity and managing sustainable fisheries