Endangered dolphin found dead in Halda River

An endangered Ganges river dolphin was found dead in the Halda River, the country‍‍`s only natural fish breeding ground.

The deceased dolphin, weighing around 99 kilograms with 7 feet length, was spotted on Tuesday afternoon in the Garaduara area of the Hathazari end of the river.

Experts assumed that the dolphin died due to old age.

Dr. Manjurul Kibria, a Halda River researcher, said that while no Ganges river dolphins have died in the Halda for over a year and a half, this particular dolphin may have succumbed to age-related issues.

However, he expressed concern that despite significant project funding related to Halda River dolphins by the Bangladesh Forest Department based in Dhaka, there has been no effective conservation effort on the ground.

He also lamented the lack of response from the Forest Department despite repeated calls regarding the dolphin‍‍`s death.

The researcher said, "Assigning the responsibility of dolphin conservation to the Forest Department is a self-defeating decision. Therefore, we demand that the responsibility for conserving endangered aquatic mammals in Bangladesh, including dolphins, be transferred to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock."

It was learned that various factors have led to the death of 41 dolphins in the Halda River to date. The last recorded death of a dolphin in this river was on November 3, 2022.