Anecdotally it is often said that fishers are the best inventors of marine conservation technologies. In this paper I describe case studies of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) and dolphin conservation technology, offering empirical evidence that fishers are successful inventors of marine conservation technology.
A team of scientists from Japan is conducting a study on Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika lake, Asia's largest brackish water lagoon, for their conservation. The mammal is a highly threatened species listed under Wildlife Protection Act.
A recent report on the status of Ganges river dolphins (Plantanista Gangetica Gangetica) in the Brahmaputra and adjoining rivers has suggested that after a long period of decline, the population of the endangered species could have stabilised.
Recent news that the Indian Central Government, in the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority, chaired by the Hon. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had decided to declare the Ganges dolphin, Platanista gangetica gangetica, as national aquatic animal was most welcome to cetacean specialists and enthusiasts and environmentalists generally.
Alarmed by a steady decline in the number of dolphins, declared a national aquatic animal by the Prime Minister, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a strict enforcement of the ban on the hunting of the man's best friend.
Official sources said Nitish has directed the district magistrates of Patna, Bhagalpur and Buxar to see that the ban order has been adhered to.
A population assessment survey of the endangered Ganges river dolphin was made between February and Apil 2005 in the Brahmaputra River starting from Assam-Arunachal border to the India-Bangladesh border. One hundred and ninety seven dolphins were recorded in the entire 856 km river stretch with an encounter rate of 0.23 dolphins per km.
