Abdul Wakid

Strengthening the Community-Based Dolphin Conservation Programme in Brahmaputra River System, India

Gangetic dolphin.

Dolphin monitoring survey in Brahmaputra.

DCN training photo.

Town/RegionCountryCategoriesDate
Brahmaputra River System, AssamIndiaCetaceans, Indian Sub-continent, Marine2 Oct 2009

There is less than 300 individuals of the endangered Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) surviving in the Brahmaputra river system within India and have been facing severe threats of extinction due to various factors especially of anthropogenic origin. To reduce these anthropogenic threats, especially poaching and accidental killing through fishing net entangle, a community-based Dolphin Conservation Network (DCN) was developed in 2006-07, which started to work from 2008. This DCN regularly monitored 30 most prioritized dolphin habitats with the help of a group of 30 trained and highly motivated community youths.

This Network showed exceptional results in 2008-09. For the success of this effort, in this project we are going to strengthen this community-based dolphin conservation effort. In order to achieve our aims, we will set up advanced training and increase involvement of DCN members; introduce a standardised boat-based dolphin monitoring system; increase linkages with fishermen and management authorities and set up site-based intensive community awareness campaigns.

A River Dolphin Watch Program will be introduced in order to make the effort sustainable and for long term conservation of the species in Brahmaputra river system.

Read about Abdul's previous projects http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/abdul_wakid or for more information contact wakid@aaranyak.org or wakid.abdul@gmail.com

This project is part of a range of projects run by Aaranyak.

Project Update: October 2009

Read about the latest findings in the publication below.

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Current Science, Vol. 97.397.66 KB
Project Update: February 2010

We have successfully organized and completed a 3-day training camp for our community-based Dolphin Conservation Network members on 6th-8th February 2010. Altogether 30 members from 30 dolphin monitoring sites participated in this training camp. The camp activities included review of 2009 activities, planning of 2010 activities, skill development of members to do the proposed activities, etc.

The members did wonderful jobs in 2009. I am very delighted to inform you that due to the tireless effort of this community-based Dolphin Conservation Network, Ganges river dolphin mortality rate has decreased by 60% in 2009 in our monitoring sites across Brahmaputra River system. On the other hand, dolphin carcass rescue (due to high market value of dolphin oil, dolphin carcass rescue is very difficult in Brahmaputra valley) rate has increased to 50% in 2009 (it was 20% in 2008). I hope we will be able to produce more concrete dolphin conservation effort in 2010.

Project Announcement

I am glad to share the news that Gangetic dolphin has been declared as the National Aquatic Animal!

This decision was taken in the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Monday, 5th October, 09.

Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh said that like the tiger as the national animal and peacock as the national bird, the government had declared dolphins as the National Aquatic Animal as it represented the health of the rivers. I hope that this new status of the animal will help a lot in its conservation.


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