Sundarbans segments declared as dolphin sanctuaries
Bagerhat, Feb 12 (UNB) - The government has declared three areas of the Sundarbans covering 32 kilometres as “dolphin sanctuaries” for conservation of the valued species.
Some 12 kms from Ghagmari check-post of Chandpai Range to Karamjal check-post through Dhangmari canal and Pashur River, 15 kms from Jongra check-post to Andharmari check-post through Mrigamari check-post and five kms from Dudhkhali check-post to Supati Canal through Bemara canal had been declared as safe havens for dolphins.
A gazette notification was issued in this regard on January 29. A copy of the notification reached the Sundarbans East Range on Thursday.
Fishing in the 32-km waterway has been prohibited with a provision of sentence and fine in violation of the ban. An offender will have to serve in jail for six months to five years and pay penalty for violation of the rules.
Meanwhile, plying of large vessels carrying goods such as oil and other forms of cargo through the sanctuaries still poses a threat to the endangered freshwater cetaceans.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has been allowing large vessels to go to Mongla from the Bay of Bengal through the Sundarbans from April 28 last year.
DFO Mihir Kumar Doe of the Sundarbans East Range said the Ministry of Environment and Forests has declared the three areas of the world’s largest mangrove forest as dolphin sanctuaries as per recommendations of the experts.
The experts made the recommendations following a survey jointly conducted by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project (BCDP) had found dolphin habitat in the coastal rivers of the Sundarbans and swatch of no-ground areas of the Bay of Bengal.
The survey report said there were 350 Gangetic River Dolphins, 6,000 Irrawady Dolphins, over 1,000 Bottlenose Dolphins, about 1,400 Finless Porpoises, and significant number of Indo-pacific Hump-backed Dolphins, Pan-tropical Spotted Dolphins and Spinner Dolphins in the Sundarbans and adjacent water bodies and swatch no-ground areas.
Besides, the experts found several Bryde’s Whales and Sperm Whales during the observation.
A total of 15 wildlife experts led by Brian D Smith of the US-based WCS conducted the survey.
Jahangir Alam, BCDP coordinator and researcher, told UNB that with the declaration of the three areas of the Sundarbans as dolphin sanctuaries, the number of the species as well as fish production will increase.
He said Forest Department and WCS will jointly make management plan which will be implemented by the Sundarbans Forest Division.
Dolphins move mostly in the rivers in the areas of Dhangmari, Chandpai, Andharmanik, Dudhmukhi, Betmore and Patakata of the Sundarbans East Zone under Khulna and Bagerhat districts.
They are also found in the rivers of southern region, including Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Meghna, Karnaphuli and Sangu rivers.
A grown-up dolphin measures 5-8 feet in length and weighs about 100 kgs. Currently, there are 41 species of dolphins across the world.
Meanwhile, fishermen who catch fish in the three areas, also good sources of fishing, have demanded alternative work for them.
Fishermen Anwar Hossain, Sobed Ali, Monsur Miah, Torab Ali in Sharonkhola upazila and Hossain Ali, Keramat Sheikh and Ripon Hawlader in Mongla upazila said they very often see dolphins floating while catching fish in different canals in the Sundarbans.
They also said sometimes dolphins get entangled in their fishing nets.
Some 12 kms from Ghagmari check-post of Chandpai Range to Karamjal check-post through Dhangmari canal and Pashur River, 15 kms from Jongra check-post to Andharmari check-post through Mrigamari check-post and five kms from Dudhkhali check-post to Supati Canal through Bemara canal had been declared as safe havens for dolphins.
A gazette notification was issued in this regard on January 29. A copy of the notification reached the Sundarbans East Range on Thursday.
Fishing in the 32-km waterway has been prohibited with a provision of sentence and fine in violation of the ban. An offender will have to serve in jail for six months to five years and pay penalty for violation of the rules.
Meanwhile, plying of large vessels carrying goods such as oil and other forms of cargo through the sanctuaries still poses a threat to the endangered freshwater cetaceans.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has been allowing large vessels to go to Mongla from the Bay of Bengal through the Sundarbans from April 28 last year.
DFO Mihir Kumar Doe of the Sundarbans East Range said the Ministry of Environment and Forests has declared the three areas of the world’s largest mangrove forest as dolphin sanctuaries as per recommendations of the experts.
The experts made the recommendations following a survey jointly conducted by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project (BCDP) had found dolphin habitat in the coastal rivers of the Sundarbans and swatch of no-ground areas of the Bay of Bengal.
The survey report said there were 350 Gangetic River Dolphins, 6,000 Irrawady Dolphins, over 1,000 Bottlenose Dolphins, about 1,400 Finless Porpoises, and significant number of Indo-pacific Hump-backed Dolphins, Pan-tropical Spotted Dolphins and Spinner Dolphins in the Sundarbans and adjacent water bodies and swatch no-ground areas.
Besides, the experts found several Bryde’s Whales and Sperm Whales during the observation.
A total of 15 wildlife experts led by Brian D Smith of the US-based WCS conducted the survey.
Jahangir Alam, BCDP coordinator and researcher, told UNB that with the declaration of the three areas of the Sundarbans as dolphin sanctuaries, the number of the species as well as fish production will increase.
He said Forest Department and WCS will jointly make management plan which will be implemented by the Sundarbans Forest Division.
Dolphins move mostly in the rivers in the areas of Dhangmari, Chandpai, Andharmanik, Dudhmukhi, Betmore and Patakata of the Sundarbans East Zone under Khulna and Bagerhat districts.
They are also found in the rivers of southern region, including Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Meghna, Karnaphuli and Sangu rivers.
A grown-up dolphin measures 5-8 feet in length and weighs about 100 kgs. Currently, there are 41 species of dolphins across the world.
Meanwhile, fishermen who catch fish in the three areas, also good sources of fishing, have demanded alternative work for them.
Fishermen Anwar Hossain, Sobed Ali, Monsur Miah, Torab Ali in Sharonkhola upazila and Hossain Ali, Keramat Sheikh and Ripon Hawlader in Mongla upazila said they very often see dolphins floating while catching fish in different canals in the Sundarbans.
They also said sometimes dolphins get entangled in their fishing nets.
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