Gharials Reclaiming River?

 © Sanjib Chaudhary

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), Critically Endangered

The Gharial, a critically endangered crocodilian, survives only in fragmented habitats throughout India and Nepal. In the past, it also occupied rivers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. It's current population is thought to be a mere 200 individuals.

Good news then, that it has recently been seen in places where it hasn't been for 40 years or more--the Hooghly District (near Kolkata) on the Ganges River in India.

iREBEL, a conservation organization, and Innovative India Tourism Pvt. Ltd, teamed up with other partners to conduct surveys in the area after hearing Gharials had been sighted there. They discovered a viable breeding population in a 170 km stretch of the river.

The group hopes to establish reserves along the river to protect the Gharials, as well as Gangetic Dolphins and other species living in the area, as many threats still face these nearly extinct and beautiful crocodilians.

The main threats to Gharials are outlined in a report published by the group:

1. Fishing – especially with gill nets and set nets. Juvenile gharials often become entangled and die.
2. Destruction of sandbanks for use in brick factories
3. Disturbance by humans while basking in the sun
4. Industrial pollution
5. Perception that gharials are man-eaters like other crocodiles

If you want to help, you can support the gharials through eco-tourism. You can sign up for wildlife tours with iREBEL, Innovative India Tourism Pvt. Ltd, or WWF-India, or even volunteer to help with their work.

You can also support the Gharials through the Gharial Conservation Alliance.

It's a Big Problem

Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
(Photo courtesy www.sharkireland.com)

The Basking Shark is endangered in the Pacific and in trouble in the Atlantic (COSEWIC 2007, listed as vulnerable by the IUCN) and is little known by most humans. A call to our lab to determine which “sea monster” carcass had washed up on a Nova Scotia shore had us discover a Basking Shark that had apparently died at sea.

These gentle giants can grow up to 15 metres in length and have the longest known gestation period of any vertebrate (up to 3.5 years!), so replacement is low. Despite their size, I think Basking Sharks are pretty cute. First, they’re filter feeders, so the fear factor is totally related to being humungous and able to knock your head off with a casual flip of the tail. Second, their rounded noses make them look a bit more like a seal than a shark. Unfortunately, they can become tangled in nets and fishing lines or hit by ships as they cruise near the surface of the water, feeding on the rich biodiversity of plankton there.

I’ve been up close and personal with a lot of Atlantic sharks, and their sheer bulk makes them seem invincible. They aren’t. In the pacific, the situation is even worse.

What can you do to help them out? As with any ocean fish, this is a tough question. Avoiding cruise ships is a good first step, but minimizing your contribution to water pollution (salts, fertilizers, sewage? learn more here) and eating a vegetarian diet (slower global warming and no nets or lines to tangle or maim non-target species) are even better. Finally, tell your friends! We’re the species responsible for their decline, so we can certainly act to change that.

Viva Vaquita

Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), Critically Endangered

A new taskforce has been formed to prevent the extinction of the Vaquita, the world's rarest marine mammal. Check out the Viva Vaquita website for more information.

Here's a recent article about the latest happenings in the world of the Vaquita.

Population Explosion, Kind Of

Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), Vulnerable

In early April, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced that a population of close to 6000 Irawaddy Dolphins has been discovered in Bangladesh. Before the discovery of the populations in Bangladesh, only a few small pockets of dolphins were known, most numbering less than 150. In short, the dolphins from Bangladesh have increased the known population more than six times.

Brian Smith, who led the study, expressed optimism for the future of the Irrawaddy Dolphin, but cautioned that the many threats still exist, including entanglement in fishing nets, declining freshwater supplies, and climate change.

The Wildlife Conservation Society is working with Bangladeshi officials to create a sanctuary for the dolphins in the mangrove forests where they live.

Keep your fingers crossed if you want to help the Irrawaddy Dolphin. Or you can take action and send an email to your Congressperson (if you live in the US), or support the WCS in their mission of Saving Wildlife.

Thanks to Colie for sharing the news.

Pass the Olives Please

Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), Vulnerable

Thousands of dead Olive Ridley Turtles wash up on the east coast of India every year, victims of shrimp trawlers, and fishing vessels using long-lines, and purse-seine and gill nets. Classified as Vulnerable (or in other terms, Nearly Endangered) by the IUCN, these turtles are also facing habitat degradation, over-harvesting of eggs and adults, and the impacts of global warming.

Many, though not all, Olive Ridleys nest in what are known as arribadas. An arribada (the Spanish word for arrival), is a mass breeding event, in which thousands of turtles leave the ocean at the same time to breed and lay eggs in sandy nests. One of the largest arribada sites is located near the mouth of the Dhamra River on the East coast of India, in the province of Orissa.

Currently, the construction of a port is in the works, very near the site of the arribada. The company carrying out the construction is a joint venture between Tata Steel and Larsen and Toubro Ltd., two Indian companies. Set to open in 2010, the port has met resistance from environmental groups concerned about the impacts of shipping traffic and the port construction on the turtles breeding grounds.

Check out a map of the proposed port site and the turtle breeding grounds here.

Although the joint company has conducted an Enviroment Impact Analysis, allegations have been made that it is inadequate and does not take into account all relevant factors. Though the company has partnered with the IUCN to "minimize and mitigate the impacts" of the development, many believe the most effective solution for the protection of the turtles is the relocation of the proposed port.

One of the biggest concerns is an increase in artificial lighting. Both nesting females and newly hatched turtles use light as a cue--the ocean is naturally brighter than land. Artificial lighting disorients many turtles, causing them to head inland rather than towards the sea. The increased industrialization that will undoubtedly occur in the area is another concern, bringing higher levels of pollution, disrupting the local marine ecosystem.

Check out the Wild Foundation, working to prevent the construction of the port.

Write a letter protesting the construction of the port.

Read about the companies environmental policies, and their defense of the port.

David vs. Goliath, Mice vs. Albatross

Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena), Critically Endangered

According to Scientists from The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross has suffered its worst ever breeding season. Out of 1764 chicks counted in January, only 246 survived to fledge.

Tristan Albatrosses, which breed only on British-owned Gough Island in the South Atlantic, are being decimate by mice. According to Richard Cuthbert, an RSPB scientist, mice have been known to prey on the birds for a long time. Previously, the birds were threatened by introduced and non-native rats, pigs, dogs, and cats. Once these predators were removed, the mice population expanded.

The mice, originally introduced in the 18th or 19th century by sealers, are now three times larger than their mainland brethren, and have adapted to be carnivorous--subsisting on young birds and eggs rather than seeds and insects. Even though the mice have become larger, they are still vastly outweighed by the albatross chicks. Why don't the albatrosses fight back? Although they do fight back against other types of prey, it seems that they are not able or do not know how to appropriately fend off the non-native mice. The mice often work together, attacking at night, quickly gnawing through the nest and straight into the chicks body.

With such low numbers of surviving chicks, Tristan Albatrosses are very close to the brink of extinction. Relatively slow breeders, pairs only nest every other year, producing a single chick each time. Adults are further threatened by the long-line fishery. Fishing boats towing miles of fishing line, with thousands of hooks baited with squid or fish, often attract Albatrosses, who attempt to snag the bait and become entangled or hooked and drown.

"Tristan Albatross is being hit by a double whammy. The chicks are predated by mice and the adults and juveniles are being killed by longline fishing vessels," said John Croxall, chair of BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme. "Unsustainable numbers are being killed on land and at sea. Without major conservation efforts, the Tristan Albatross will become extinct."

Is there any hope? Some. In New Zealand, similar situations with rats have been successfully dealt with by dropping rat poison from helicopters. The RSPB has done preliminary studies indicating that a similar solution would solve the mice problem on Gough Island, and is encouraging the British government to come up with the needed funds.

You can help. Get involved with the Save the Albatrosses Campaign.

Donate to Bird Life International's Preventing Extinctions Program.

If you live in the UK, you can contact your representatives and ask them to support funding for wildlife in the UK Overseas Territories.

You can also donate to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which works against the illegal use of long line fishing.

Hector's Dolphins Still Unprotected

Hector's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori), Endangered

A new study by researchers at New Zealand's Otago University has added to the mountain of evidence that Hector's Dolphins are being killed at a rate that will lead to their extinction . . . unless something changes. These dolphins, with their uniquely rounded dorsal fins, are declining due to commercial and recreational fishing using gill nets and other methods that entangle them as bycatch.

Hector's Dolphins have the most limited range of any cetacean, except the Vaquita. Living only around the coast of New Zealand's two islands, they are divided into two subspecies. The South Island Hector's Dolphins have been reduced to less than 7500 individuals, while the Critically Endangered North Island subspecies, also known as Maui's Dolphins, have been reduced to a mere 110 individuals.

The New Zealand government has restricted fishing in parts of the Dolphin's range, but complete protection has not been realized, partially because of resistance from the fishing industry.

If you want to help, you can petition the New Zealand Government to enact full protection, adopt a Hector's Dolphin through WWF New Zealand, or join a Facebook Cause dedicated to the Hector's and Maui's Dolphins.