In a first, India has tagged a healthy male Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in Assam, which will help chalk out a long-term conservation plan for the endangered species.
Conservationists face a paucity of information on the dolphin’s home range. 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 tagging was made possible by advancements in technology – the lightweight tags emit signals compatible with Argos satellite systems even with limited surfacing time. The satellite tag is designed to minimize interference with dolphin movement.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in an official statement termed the initiative a monumental effort which underscores India’s unwavering commitment to wildlife conservation and sets a new benchmark in the protection of endangered species.
In a post on social media, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said, “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.”
The conservation project Dolphin is the result of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII)'s collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority.
Project investigator Dr Vishnupriya Kolipakam of WII emphasized that satellite tagging would help in preparing a long term conservation plan in the vast river ecosystem.
“Tagging of dolphins will help conserve critical habitats within these vast river ecosystems and is vital not only for aquatic biodiversity but also for sustaining thousands of people who depend on these resources,” said Kolipakam.
The Ganges river dolphin, which has been chosen as 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.
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.