Source : Bayanihan, Philippines, 13 Apr 2007
By : PNA
  

A report of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Philippines said that 25 years after being discovered, the Irrawaddy Dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the Malampaya Sound in Taytay, Palawan are "hanging on for dear life."

Despite the efforts of WWF personnel to conserve the sea mammal, numerous dolphins have continued to die yearly because of their vulnerability to human activities.

From May to August alone last year, five dolphins drowned as bycatch, all were entangled in a wide range of fishing gear--from purse seine nets to crab pots.

Dolphins belong to the Mammalian Order Cetacea, which means that every so often, they still need to resurface for air.

Two have already died in early months of 2007.

"The sheer saturation of these traps is the greatest threat to the Irrawaddy Dolphins' survival," says WWF Mavic Matillano, WWF project manager in the area.

From the initial population of 77, Matillano revealed the current number of dolphins have gone down to 47.

To stop the deaths of dolphins, an Irrawaddy Dolphin Recovery Plan was crafted that will develop and implement policies regulating the use of fishing gears with high incidence of bycatch.

WWF monitoring and documentation of dolphin mortalities yielded an average of four deaths per year.

Although crab and other sustenance fishing have been identified as the main culprits for dolphin mortalities, they are among the fishery activities that are legally allowed in the Malampaya Sound.

Malampaya's fishermen, completely reliant on the sea for sustenance, are unable to utilize alternative methods to catch food.

The WWF are conducting more steps to minimize dolphin mortalities through coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government unit of Taytay.

They intend to develop fishery policies in order to enhance livelihood opportunities, law enforcement and environmental awareness.

Matillano said the fate of Irrawaddy Dolphins depend on the people's awareness to preserve the said sea mammals.

The Philippine population, being isolated and extremely vulnerable, is classified as Critically Endangered--highest risk category for any animal species.

Worldwide, Irrawaddy Dolphins frolic amongst the rivers and shallow coasts of Southeast Asia and Australia. Other sites are Mekong Delta in Indonesia and in the Mahakam River in India.

The 155-hectare Malampaya, dubbed in the past as "Fishbowl of the Philippines" is potential area for eco-tourism such as trekking, mangrove tours and dolphin watching.(PNA)