Indus River Wild Dolphins
Population Increase

Minister of Pakistan for Environment said that the government has been very conscious of the importance of environment and in this regard, it responded to its environmental problems by introducing laws, establishing environmental protection institutions and developing environment resources and technical capabilities.

He stated this while speaking at the press briefing on the occasion of launching ceremony of the survey report on the Conservation of Indus River Wild Dolphin here at United Nation Information Centre on Wednesday.

A comprehensive survey of one of the worldís most endangered wild dolphins, Pakistanís Indus River wild dolphins, was completed in April 2006, by a team of specialists supported by the Pakistan Wetlands programme.

The minister said that the increasing pollution is a threat for Indus Dolphine and it is a dire need to evolve a comprehensive strategy to save the wild dolphin population.

He said that the large water reserviours are the necessary to save the important plant species and invertebrate and vertebrate animals of the Pakistani rivers.

Gill Braulik, an experienced cetacean specialist who is the coordinator of Indus Dolphin Survey, said that the results of survey are encouraging as it is clear that wild dolphins number have increased between Guddu and Sukkur.

However, she stressed that the Indus wild dolphin population is by no means safe as it occurs in a very small area and the population is severely fragmented.

She said that the species is still critically endangered and remains one of the most threatened dolphins in the world. The number of wild dolphins in Punjab is extremely low and a cause for concern, she said.

She said that the population is spilt up by barrages and the amount of potential habitat is greatly reduced as water is diverted out of the main stem of the Indus River.

She said that the recent survey, for the first time, included a comprehensive hydrological evaluation of wild dolphin habitat. Preliminary results confirm that dolphin prefer deeper river water, she said.

Albert Reichert, the hydrological expert with the expedition, said that in a country where millions of people rely upon the flow of the Indus for their livelihood, the needs a clean, reliable source of water to survive.

He said that the major threats to the River Indus Dolphin include habitat fragmentation, water scarcity and pollution.