[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Bangladesh mangrove forests set aside for dolphins

(Gulf Times, Qatar)

Bangladesh declares three dolphin sanctuaries
Publish Date: Monday,13 February, 2012, at 01:15 AM Doha Time

The Sundarbans and adjacent water bodies were home to over 7,000 dolphins of different species

By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
Bangladesh has declared three areas of the Sundarbans mangrove forests covering 32km as "dolphin sanctuaries" for conservation of the species.
A gazette notification has been issued in this regard, forest ministry officials said yesterday.
Fishing in the 32-km waterway has also been prohibited.
According to officials, the decision was taken on the recommendations of an experts' committee.
A survey, conducted jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project (BCDP) had found dolphin habitat in the coastal rivers of the Sundarbans in the Bay of Bengal.
The survey found that the Sundarbans and adjacent water bodies were home to over 7,000 dolphins of different species such as Gangetic river dolphin, Irrawady dolphin, Bottlenose dolphin, Finless porpoise, Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin, pan-Tropical spotted dolphin and Spinner dolphin.
Besides, the experts found several Bryde's Whales and Sperm Whales during the
observation.
A total of 15 wildlife experts led by Brian D Smith of the US-based WCS conducted the
survey.
Jahangir Alam, co-ordinator and researcher at BCDP, said that with the declaration of the sanctuaries, the number of the species as well as fish production will increase.
He said the forest department and WCS will jointly make management plan which will be implemented by the Sundarbans Forest Division.
Dolphins move mostly in the rivers of the Sundarbans. They are also found in the rivers of southern region, including the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Meghna, Karnaphuli and Sangu.
A grown-up dolphin measures 5-8ft in length and weighs about 100kg. Currently, there are 41 species of dolphins across the world.