11 Countries Signed first-of-its-kind Global Declaration of River Dolphins by 2030
Declaration was adopted by River dolphin range states namely Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru and Venezuela.
Global Declaration for River Dolphins aims to
- Halt and reverse the decline of all river dolphin species in both Asia and South America.
- Scale up collective efforts to safeguard remaining river dolphin species by developing and funding measures to
eradicate gillnets, reduce pollution, expand research, and increase protected areas. - Enhance the health of rivers, which are the lifeblood of many communities and economies as well as sustaining critical ecosystems from rainforests to deltas.
Eight pillars of the Declaration are
- Creating a network of protected areas
- Enhancing management of river dolphin sites
- Expanding research and monitoring
- Engaging local communities and Indigenous Peoples
- Eradicating unsustainable fishing practices
- Improving water quality and quantity
- Celebrating World River Dolphin Day to raise awareness
- Increasing resource allocation and partnerships
River Dolphins are top predators in some of the world’s greatest river systems and important indicators of river’s health. Since 1980s, their population numbers have reduced by 73 percent.
Surviving species of River Dolphin
- Amazon (aka pink river dolphin or boto) lives only in freshwater.
♦ IUCN Status: Endangered - Ganges (commonly known as susu) found mainly in Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems in India and Bangladesh.
♦ IUCN Status: Endangered - Indus (aka bhulan) found in Pakistan and River Beas, a tributary of Indus River in Punjab.
♦ IUCN Status: Endangered - Irrawaddy found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three river i.e. Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo), Mekong and Chilka lake (India).
♦ IUCN Status: Endangered - Tucuxi freshwater dolphin species that lives in Amazon River system in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
♦ IUCN Status: Endangered - Yangtze finless porpoise only freshwater porpoise in world and only found in Yangtze River (longest river in Asia).
♦ IUCN Status: Critically Endangered