Asia

Killing of rare river dolphins sparks poaching fears in Bangladesh lockdown

DHAKA: The gutted carcass of a freshwater dolphin has been found in a river sanctuary in Bangladesh, officials said on Sunday (May 10), sparking fears fishermen are taking advantage of the coronavirus lockdown to poach the endangered creatures.

Locals in the southeastern town of Raojan found the remains of the 157-centimetre long Ganges river dolphin on the banks of the Halda River, fishery department official Abdullah al Mamun told AFP.

Advertisement

Advertisement

It had suffered a sharp and deep incision from its neck to tail and layers of its body fat – from which oil is extracted for use in traditional medicines – were missing, he said.

The dolphin is the second to be found dead in the same sanctuary since Bangladesh imposed its lockdown to tackle the coronavirus, said Manzoorul Kibria, coordinator of the Halda River Research Laboratory (HRRL).

Bangladesh prohibits the killing of Ganges dolphins, which are categorised as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "Red List" of threatened species.

A local official, who asked to remain anonymous, said locals were starting to trawl the Halda river, as understaffed police who usually patrol the region were busy enforcing the lockdown in Raojan.

Advertisement

Advertisement

"They are trying to make a living by catching fish illegally," local forestry department head Yasin Nawaz said, adding that the same nets also often caught dolphins.

Once the creatures are trapped, they prove easy pickings for poachers who sell their fat and oil, Kibria said.

"Many local villagers bRead More – Source

[contf]
[contfnew]

channel news asia

[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]

Related Articles

Asia

Joshua Wong and fellow activists plead guilty in Hong Kong protests trial

bbc– Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong and two fellow campaigners are...

Asia

Works worth Rs 1,559 cr completed in Bihar out of PM s package of Rs 1.25 lakh cr: Congress

PATNA: Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday claimed that works worth...

Asia

Ex-Trump fundraiser pleads guilty to illicit lobbying on 1MDB, China

WASHINGTON: A former top fundraiser for President Donald Trump pleaded guilty Tuesday...

Asia

Covid: Delhi more “open” than Mumbai

NEW DELHI: With Unlock 5.0 underway from October 15, more businesses and...