Both these programmes are funded by Australian Government's Indo-Pacific Cetacean Research and Conservation Fund. These projects are aiming at the conservation of marine cetaceans along the Balochistan coast and assessment of cetacean by-catch in tuna fisheries of Pakistan respectively. As part of work plan WWF-Pakistan's team recently surveyed the Balochistan coast from Jiwani to Gwader between December 13 to 16,2012. Rab Nawaz, Director Sindh Programme of WWF-P and Moazzam Khan (WWF-P marine consultant) told that the team had the most amazing sightings of dolphins recorded ever along the Pakistan coast on 15th December in offshore waters near Gwader.
A huge pod (about 3000-5000 animals) of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) was observed spanning over an area of approximately three sqaure km all around the boat. This sighting was recorded during afternoon session during light rain. The dolphins appeared very healthy, agile and playful as about 15 animals were riding the bow of the survey vessel while others were performing all sorts of acrobatics including breaches, half breaches, head and tail slaps, spins and fast porpoising.
The dolphins stayed with the slow moving survey vessel for nearly two hours during which the WWF-P researchers collected information on group size, behaviour, and group compositions. Amazingly, many calves (young dolphins) and juveniles were observed by the scientists during this life time experience. Some Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) were also recorded during this survey.
All these findings show that our marine ecosystem is still very vibrant and productive that it can sustain such a bounty of apex predators. But, on the other hand we need to assess our (human) impacts on this very intricate and fragile ecosystem and come up with solutions that can accommodate both human needs as well as biodiversity conservation. Issues such as use of extremely long gillnets (walls of death), pollution, habitat degradation, ship/boat strikes and dwindling food resources as a result of illegal fishing methods need our purposeful and well co-ordinated efforts for finding viable solutions.
Muhammad Shoaib Kiani (Cetacean scientist at WWF - P) added that another major highlight of this field trip was rescue of an entangled juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that was trapped in a fisher's net on December 11, 2012 near Gunz area of the Balochistan coast. The team was not in field at that time but due to excellent relations with local community that WWF-P has developed over many years, the local community managed to release the poor animal by acting according to the advice given to them on mobile phone.
This is another great achievement considering the fact that the Arabian Sea humpback whales have been declared Endangered in 2008 by IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the existing number of this species are very low. The efforts of local community and WWF-P's local office at Jiwani in this great rescue are highly appreciated by WWF-P's leadership. Help received from Balochistan Fisheries Department (BFD) for arrangement of survey logistics including survey boat is highly acknowledged.-PR