Ocean Sentry
(From hindu.com)- Dolphins and sharks may soon disappear from the Bay of Bengal off the Vizag coast. In this region, four types of dolphins are found — the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops), the spinner dolphin (Stenella), the humpback dolphin (Sousachinensis) and the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). Last month, the carcasses of three bottlenose dolphins were washed ashore on the Vizag beach. Pollution is one of the major causes, and the dolphins becoming a bycatch of commercial fishery is an issue. One reason cited by research workers for the depleting number of dolphins in the region is the steep increase in tuna fishing. Wherever dolphins are spotted, tuna would be present there, too. “The sight of dolphins is a visual marker for fishermen to gauge the presence of tuna in a zone. They immediately spread out the nets and it spells doom to dolphins.”
(By Nivedita Ganguly)
