Save The Ayeyarwady Dolphin

Save The Ayeyarwady Dolphin

Ayeyarwady Dolphin

Ayeyarwady dolphins can be found in coastal regions of southeast Asia. As they adapted to freshwater
environments like the Ayeyarwady river where it got its name. They’re known for their unique smiling
faces, which are often compared to human emotion displays. Dolphins are often thought to be
intelligent, social creatures. But for the Ayeyarwady Dolphin in Myanmar, it’s more than just an animal
instinct. The Ayeyarwady dolphins help to lure the cluster of fish and show signals for fishermen to
throw their nets. Yes, these dolphins have been observed to communicate with humans.

Living habits and character

Ayeyarwady dolphins are small social animals that group together to move around. They are also
curious, and will often explore the adjacent environment. They move slowly and peacefully, but 14% of
these species have been observed performing water splashing rolls or slapping limbs. The Ayeyarwady
dolphin’s diet consists mainly of shrimps, crab, lobster, and cuttlefish. It also eats squid and other small
oceanic lifeforms.

They are known for their polygynous mating behavior, which means males mate with multiple females
and compete with each other to get the right to do so. The pregnancy duration of Ayeyarwady Dolphin
is one year and 2 months. They carry one baby at a time, which is one of the reasons why their
population has been struggling to survive.

Threats for survival

They are threatened by electrofishing, gillnet fishing, and dam construction which may result in habitat
loss of these animals. Moreover, ocean pollution can threaten dolphins’ health and well-being. These
amazing animals have died due to being caught by certain fishing methods like gillnetting. Moreover, the
construction of dams can significantly impact the amount of area that dolphins have to live in.

Effects of extinction

If the dolphins are gone, then we should all be worried about our aquatic environment. The beautiful
creature plays an important role in the regulation of the freshwater ecosystem as well as signaling
whether the water is fresh and clean enough to utilize for all the species within it.

Conservation

In an attempt to protect these animals from extinction, nations have been making laws and programs
that involve awareness campaigns.

This video shows the famous actor Jackie Chan encourages to save Ayeyarwady Dolphin.
Jackie Chan – Save the endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin

One of the oldest forms of fishing, gillnets capture a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater species
and can be found in most freshwater worldwide. They’re often used as a form of commercial fishing
because they’re efficient at trapping small amounts of animals quickly, but their impact on ocean
ecosystems has led many countries to ban their use in favor of conservation efforts.

In order to protect the lives of many aquatic animals, gillnet and electrofishing methods have been
banned throughout countries around the Mekong region and Ayeyarwady regions. In Myanmar, it is
mandatory to release caught Ayeyarwady dolphins.

In addition, catching and killing them is also against the law. Ayeyarwady dolphins are a protected
species in India, which means it’s illegal to kill them or sell their products. Patrol vessels and
safeguarding for Ayeyarwady dolphins have been performed in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

What can I do individually?
The Ayeyarwady Dolphin needs your attention to prevent them from extinction. Future plans of
conservation involve engaging citizens in campaigns and programs that can help save this small unique
member of society. If you have any chance, please go and join each activity to save these beautiful
creatures.

Written by Nori