India conducts first-ever Ganges river dolphin tagging in Assam

GUWAHATI: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) conducted the first-ever Ganges River Dolphin tagging in Assam on Wednesday. According to an official release by MoEFCC, the initiative was implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority.

This is the first tagging, not only in India but also for the species. This milestone marks a significant advancement of Project Dolphin. A healthy male river dolphin was tagged and released under utmost veterinary care after it was decided to undertake satellite tagging of dolphins. The tagging exercise will help in understanding their seasonal and migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat utilization, particularly in fragmented or disturbed river systems, the release stated.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhuendra Yadav, taking to X, shared this “historic” milestone. “Happy to share the news of the first-ever tagging of Ganges River Dolphin in Assam — a historic milestone for the species and India! This MoEFCC and National CAMPA-funded project, led by the Wildlife Institute of India in collaboration with Assam Forest Dept and Aaranyak, will deepen our understanding of conserving our National Aquatic Animal”, Bhupendra Yadav wrote on X.

The Ganges River Dolphin, India’s National Aquatic Animal, is unique in its ecology, being nearly blind and relying on echolocation for its biological needs. Approximately 90% of the species’ population resides in India, historically distributed across the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems. However, its distribution has drastically declined over the past century.

Despite its wide range, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding this species due to its elusive behaviour. It surfaces for only 5-30 seconds at a time, posing a significant challenge in understanding the ecological needs of the species and for any scientifically sound conservation interventions, the release stated.

Under the umbrella of Project Dolphin, the MoEFCC has funded through the National CAMPA Authority, Wildlife Institute of India, to undertake comprehensive range-wide research to develop a conservation action plan and fill existing knowledge gaps for the long-term conservation of the species. Given that Ganges River Dolphins are apex predators, and serve as umbrella species for the river systems, it is important to ensure their well-being, as it will ensure the sustenance of the entire river ecosystem.’

The tagging was made possible by advancements in technology; the lightweight tags emit signals compatible with Argos satellite systems even with limited surfacing time and are designed to minimize interference with dolphin movement. Plans are underway to extend this initiative to other states inhabited by Ganges River Dolphins to build a comprehensive understanding of their population dynamics and habitat requirements.

This monumental effort underscores India’s unwavering commitment to wildlife conservation and sets a new benchmark in the protection of endangered species, the press release stated. (ANI)