Interesting facts:

Status: Data insufficient to categorize
Total Remaining: Unknown. Irrawaddies rarely show themselves above water and with many similarities to other whale and dolphin species, they are difficult to identify.

Photo and details from the official WWF website.
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MANILA, Philippines — Bound by land on two sides and protected by Mt. Capaoas, Malampaya Sound in northern Palawan is the last haven of the rare Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) in the Philippines.

As another dawn breaks, a few of the dolphins can be seen cavorting among themselves.

The Irrawaddy is a light-gray to white marine mammal with a small, triangular dorsal fin.

While Bottlenose Dolphins rule over the outer Sound, the smaller and more delicate Irrawaddies inhabit its inner portions.

Named after Burma’s Irrawaddy River, the dolphins inhabit coastal, brackish and fresh waters of tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. Their territory stretches from Australia and New Guinea to the Bay of Bengal, including the Irrawaddy, Mahaka, Mekong, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.

Although their range seems vast, actual distribution is relatively fragmented — with some populations only dozens strong.

This has prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources to classify them globally as endangered.

Critically endangered

The Philippine population, being isolated and extremely vulnerable, is classified as critically endangered — the highest risk category for any animal species.

In 1986, a thriving colony was discovered in the inner portion of Malampaya Sound, south of El Nido and west of Taytay. After a thorough assessment, the population was pegged at 77 individuals.
Unfortunately, the age-old tendency to inhabit shallow coastal areas has made the Irrawaddy especially vulnerable to human activities.

Twenty-five years after their discovery, the future of the Irrawaddy is still far from assured.

Despite tireless efforts at conservation by organizations like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines), a number of dolphins continue to die every year.

Two have already succumbed this year. Last year, from May to August alone, five dolphins drowned as by-catch. All were entangled in a wide range of fishing gear — from purse seine nets to crab pots.

Dolphins belong to the mammalian order Cetacea, which means that every so often, they need to resurface for air.

Each month more people come to Malampaya, lured by the bounty of its rich waters. Many use traps that are left untended across great swathes of the Sound.

Ever curious, the Irrawaddies play amid the traps. Inevitably, some become entangled in nets.

“The sheer saturation of these traps is the greatest threat to the Irrawaddy’s survival,” says WWF-Philippines project manager Mavic Matillano.

Other sites where the Irrawaddy can be found, such as the Mekong Delta in Indochina and in the Mahakam River in India, are experiencing similar by-catch problems.

Four dead each year

From the initial population of 77, the current number of dolphins is estimated to have gone down to 47. A loss of so great a number — 30 confirmed individuals — in just two decades is a cause for alarm.

To stop the trend, the Irrawaddy Dolphin Recovery Plan was crafted in 2003. The plan included the development and implementation of policies regulating the use of fishing gear with high incidence of by-catch.

WWF documentation of dolphin mortality yielded an average of four Irrawaddy deaths per year. The number of deaths has been steadily increasing.

Although catching crabs and other sustenance fishing methods have been identified as the main culprits for dolphin deaths, they are among the fishery activities that are legally allowed in the Sound.

Malampaya’s fisherfolk, completely reliant on the sea for sustenance, have yet to shift to alternative methods of catching fish.

Multi-sectoral approach

Fortunately, more steps are being taken to minimize dolphin deaths.

Using a multi-sectoral approach, WWF and other groups such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the municipality of Taytay are developing fishery policies to enhance livelihood opportunities, law enforcement and environmental awareness.

These policies have been designed to alleviate the intensive and unsustainable fishing methods.

Ecotourism is also being considered as a primary source of livelihood.

Trekking, mangrove tours

“Malampaya has good potential. It offers trekking, mangrove tours and, of course, dolphin watching. The revenues from these activities will be able to partially fund enforcement teams for the area,” Matillano said.

He said families might rely less on fishing if they found new sources of income.

“This should help reduce the number of traps in the Sound,” the WWF-Philippines project manager said.

Ultimately, the fate of Malampaya Sound’s Irrawaddy Dolphins depends on the people themselves.

Without their willingness to accommodate this species, a new dawn cannot break for the beleaguered Irrawaddy.

Check out the full article and a cool picture of the Irrawaddy dolphin from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=53597

This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2007 at 5:33 am and is filed under animal news, Animal love. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.