First-ever satellite tagging of endangered Ganges river dolphin begins in Assam river to push for conservation

Guwahati: In the first such exercise, conservationists in India on Wednesday began satellite tagging of its national aquatic species, Ganges river dolphin at the Kulsi, a tributary of the Brahmaputra in Assam, one of its biggest habitats.

A 40-member team of conservation experts assisted by trained fishermen and veterinarians caught healthy male a Ganges river dolphin and successfully satellite tagged, allowing the scientists to get real time data of its movement and habitat range.

"We know how much space and range a tiger or an elephant requires inside our forests. But we don't have specific data as yet about the same of the Ganges river dolphin. So, for us, satellite tagging of a Ganges river dolphin is a groundbreaking development as this happened for the first time," Abdul Wakid, one of the members of the expert team, told DH. Wakid heads the Gangetic Dolphin Research and Conservation Division of Aaranyak, a prominent biodiversity conservation group in Assam.

"The plan is to satellite tag another two-three dolphins in the next few weeks," he said.

Ganges river dolphins are unique in its ecology, being nearly blind and relying on echolocation for its biological needs.

This was done under a project of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Advisory Council (National CAMPA) and led by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam forest department and Aaranyak.

Despite its wide range, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding this species due to its elusive behaviour, it surfaces for only 5.30 seconds at a time, posing a significant challenge in understanding the ecological needs of the species and for scientifically sound conservation interventions, WII said in a statement.

Director of WII, Virendra R. Tiwari said in a statement, "Tagging river dolphins will contribute to evidence-based conservation strategies that are urgently needed for this species."

"The real-time data of their movement will provide us with an idea about their preferred habitats, migratory routes, distribution range and the potential threats they encounter along the way. Such data will help in working out proper conservation plans to protect the species," Wakid said.

Ganges river dolphins, an endangered species, are indicators of a healthy river ecosystem and are crucial for the aquatic environment. But threats such as construction of big dams and other infrastructure projects in rivers and poaching have pushed them towards the threat of extinction. "The dolphins are killed by using fishing nets mainly for its fats and its use in traditional medicines. Destruction of habitats is another big threat for the species," he said.

According to an estimate, there are nearly 3,500 Ganges river dolphins in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghana and Karnaphuli river system in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Ninety percent of those are found in India, Wakid said. A survey conducted in the Brahmaputra river system in Assam way back in 2012 documented 635 dolphins. A detailed census of the Ganegs river dolphins in entire India is being conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India.

Project investigator, Vishnupriya Kolipakam said, "This is a significant advancement in understanding the ecological needs of river dolphins., which will help conserve critical habitats within this vast river ecosystem. This is vital not only for aquatic biodiversity but also for sustaining thousands of people who depend on these resources."