Irrawaddy Dolphin

• The population of dolphins in Chilika Lake, the largest freshwater lake,and along the Odisha coast has doubled this year compared to the last year.
• The endangered Irrawaddy dolphin population has jumped from 146 in 2020 to 162 this year.
• The Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris, is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• A distinctive dolphin with a rounded head and no beak, this species is patchily distributed in shallow, coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific, and also occurs in three large river systems – the Ayeyarwady in Myanmar, the Mekong in Cambodia, and the Mahakam in Borneo, Indonesia.
• The main threat to the Irrawaddy Dolphin is entanglement in gillnets. Habitat loss and degradation from pollution, dam construction, sedimentation, and vessel traffic are additional concerns.
• These dolphins are revered in many parts of Asia. Five subpopulations, including all three freshwater populations, have suffered dramatic declines in range and numbers and are considered Critically Endangered.
• The Irrawaddy Dolphin is legally protected from deliberate capture in most of its range, and specially protected areas have been designated in several areas.
• Restrictions on the use of gillnets are necessary to reduce entanglement mortality. The use of non-entangling and more selective gear is to be encouraged.