Despite threats, number of blind dolphins rising: survey

Despite lethal environmental pollution, stranding in irrigation canals and accidental entanglement in fishing nets, the number of the endangered Indus Blind Dolphins is on the rise, revealed a survey whose preliminary results were released on Tuesday.

The study also claimed that at this point in time there were at least 1,816 dolphins present in the long stretch of 808 kilometres of the Indus River.

 The examination was initiated by a team of experts from the Zoological Survey Department of Pakistan, the WWF-Pakistan, academic researchers from various educational institutions and the wildlife departments of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who travelled in four boats carrying research equipment, food, camping gear and drinking water.

“The survey, which is conducted every five years, revealed that the number of dolphins has increased, and there are at least 1,816 Indus Blind Dolphins in the river from Chashma to Sukkur barrages,” said a WWF-P official.

He said the 4th WWF-Pakistan Comprehensive Indus River Dolphin Survey, which was conducted between March 20 and April 13, covered the dolphin distribution range from Chashma to Sukkur barrages.

The WWF-P released the study’s preliminary results in a report titled ‘Signs of Hope for the Endemic and Endangered Bhulan (Indus Dolphin)’, which highlighted a significant increase in the population of the species since 2001.

The WWF-P official said the total number of dolphins was 1,816, with 170 dolphins between Chashma and Taunsa barrages, 571 between Taunsa and Guddu barrages and 1,075 between Guddu and Sukkur barrages. The dolphin encounter rate was higher downstream Indus River, with the highest population observed between Guddu and Sukkur barrages, he added.

Dr Gill Braulik from the IUCN’s Cetacean Specialist Group provided the survey team with initial technical assistance based on her expertise of leading previous dolphin studies. She said it was clear from the four surveys that the endangered species was increasing in number.

 “At a time when so many endangered species are disappearing and so many other river dolphins are declining, this is incredibly positive news that Pakistan can be proud of.”

WWF-P Director General Hammad Naqi Khan said the surveys provided credible data on the status of the Indus River’s dolphin population so that conservation actions and adaptive management of the species could be developed accordingly.