Post by tekmac on Feb 22, 2005 9:00:02 GMT -5
CHILIKA, India (21 Feb 2005) -- Hounded by tourist boats and official apathy, the rare Irrawaddy dolphins of Chilika are on the verge of extinction.
At least 13 dolphins have perished in the lake during the last eleven months, with seven casualties reported from Mahisa near Satpada during February alone.
Considering that the total population of this human-friendly fish in Chilika would not exceed, the casualty rate is alarming by any standards.
Seen mostly in the outer channel of the lake near Mahisa-Berhampura, Alupatna, Magarmukh, and Rajhans, the Irrawaddy dolphins are slow breeders.They produce only one baby every three years, the gestation period being nine months as in the case of humans. Hence, killing of the calves can spell doom for their population.
Songkhla in Thailand being the only other lake where they are sighted, these dolphins constitute a unique natural treasure of Chilika, but, tourists and unscrupulous boat operators have turned into their scourge. During the peak season, more than 600 tourist boats fitted with noisy and polluting engines go out into the lake on a dolphin sighting mission. Chased relentlessly, quite often they die of sheer exhaustion.
The cheap Lombardini and LG diesel engines, unlike outboard motor engines, have long propellers which project nearly six feet from the rear of the boat. On certain days, 30 to 40 boats surround the dolphins for a closer view. It is not uncommon for the panic-stricken animals to get hit by the propeller blades while trying to break out of this cordon.
The introduction of new varieties of fishing nets also pose a major threat to these mammals. Certain fishing villages in the Magarmukh area including Alupatna and Mahisa have started using multi- filament gill nets locally known as almi jaal to catch sharks which have been entering the lake through the new mouth at Sipakuda.
Dolphins,too,get trapped in these nets which are almost invisible in the water .Being extremely sensitive,they often die of the shock of finding themselves trapped.
Moreover, the estimated 10,000 mechanized boats operating in Chilika discharge a huge amount of fuel and lubricants into the lake. This severely affects the fish and shrimp population of the lake on which the dolphins feed.
The Wildlife Society of Orissa, a leading nature-conservation organisation, has urged the government to take immediate steps to regulate boat traffic in the lake, banning the entry of crafts fitted with noisy and polluting engines. It has also suggested the deployment of forest patrols to keep an eye on tourist boats on dolphin sighting mission in the lake.
SOURCE - SIFY News
At least 13 dolphins have perished in the lake during the last eleven months, with seven casualties reported from Mahisa near Satpada during February alone.
Considering that the total population of this human-friendly fish in Chilika would not exceed, the casualty rate is alarming by any standards.
Seen mostly in the outer channel of the lake near Mahisa-Berhampura, Alupatna, Magarmukh, and Rajhans, the Irrawaddy dolphins are slow breeders.They produce only one baby every three years, the gestation period being nine months as in the case of humans. Hence, killing of the calves can spell doom for their population.
Songkhla in Thailand being the only other lake where they are sighted, these dolphins constitute a unique natural treasure of Chilika, but, tourists and unscrupulous boat operators have turned into their scourge. During the peak season, more than 600 tourist boats fitted with noisy and polluting engines go out into the lake on a dolphin sighting mission. Chased relentlessly, quite often they die of sheer exhaustion.
The cheap Lombardini and LG diesel engines, unlike outboard motor engines, have long propellers which project nearly six feet from the rear of the boat. On certain days, 30 to 40 boats surround the dolphins for a closer view. It is not uncommon for the panic-stricken animals to get hit by the propeller blades while trying to break out of this cordon.
The introduction of new varieties of fishing nets also pose a major threat to these mammals. Certain fishing villages in the Magarmukh area including Alupatna and Mahisa have started using multi- filament gill nets locally known as almi jaal to catch sharks which have been entering the lake through the new mouth at Sipakuda.
Dolphins,too,get trapped in these nets which are almost invisible in the water .Being extremely sensitive,they often die of the shock of finding themselves trapped.
Moreover, the estimated 10,000 mechanized boats operating in Chilika discharge a huge amount of fuel and lubricants into the lake. This severely affects the fish and shrimp population of the lake on which the dolphins feed.
The Wildlife Society of Orissa, a leading nature-conservation organisation, has urged the government to take immediate steps to regulate boat traffic in the lake, banning the entry of crafts fitted with noisy and polluting engines. It has also suggested the deployment of forest patrols to keep an eye on tourist boats on dolphin sighting mission in the lake.
SOURCE - SIFY News