First-ever Ganges River Dolphin Tagging

Syllabus: GS3/ Conservation, Species In News

In News

• The Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista Gangetica) has been satellite-tagged for the first time by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). 

Rationale

• The satellite tagging aims to gather critical data on the dolphins’ seasonal and migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat utilization, especially in fragmented or disturbed river systems. This information is vital for formulating effective conservation strategies.

About Ganges River Dolphins (also called ‘susu’)

• Scientific Name: Platanista Gangetica .
• Discovery: Officially discovered in 1801.
• Habitat and Distribution: Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers & their tributaries in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
• Characteristics: Only live in freshwater & does not have a crystalline eye lens, rendering it effectively blind.
  • Navigation and hunting through a highly developed ‘sonar system’, using echolocation (ultrasonic sounds).
  • The body is a brownish colour and stocky in the middle.
• Significance: 
  • Indicator of the health of the entire river ecosystem.
  • Controlling and maintaining healthy fish and crustacean populations
  • GOI declared National Aquatic Animal in 2009
• Threats: Habitat degradation via pollution, construction etc.
  • Accidental deaths via entanglement in the nets (bycatch), Poaching.
• Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN), Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • Appendix I of CITES

Steps Taken

• Project Dolphin: Conservation of dolphins & aquatic habitat through the use of technology (Pollution reduction & sustainable fishery).
• National Ganga River Dolphin Day: October 5 (this day it was declared National Aquatic Animal in 2009).
• Dolphin Sanctuary: Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) (Bihar)
• Conservation Action Plan for Dolphins: By the Wildlife Institute of India launched in 2016.

Source: TH