RIVER BRIEFING DOLPHINS INT AT RISK 2019 TUCUXI RIVER DOLPHINS
Main © Omacha Foundation Fernando Trujillo, inset © Jeffrey Davila / WWF-Peru SCIENTIFIC NAME: SOTALIA FLUVIATILIS
POPULATION We don’t know the exact number left of these dolphins, but we do know that the numbers are decreasing. The species is classified as data deficient by IUCN. HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? MORE The Tucuxi is the smaller, gray counterpart to the Amazon ABOUT River dolphin. It looks more like its marine cousins and just Only by building and growing a strong THEM like them, the tucuxi jumps playfully out of the water, which is global community of partners will we be able to secure the long-term a beautiful sight. Its scientific name is Sotalia fluviatilis, which future of river dolphins. means dolphin ‘of the river’. The freshwater species is found
throughout the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. The Tucuxi WWF is excited to work with local travels in groups of about 10-15 individuals and has a highly and global partners on key projects developed social structure. including:
• establishing baseline population Development and infrastructure —such as the construction WHY IS numbers and range data; THE TUCUXI of dams—continues to challenge Tucuxi populations RIVER by fragmenting their range and limiting their breeding • working with key local (and inter) DOLPHIN opportunities. Scarcity of migratory fish which the Tucuxi feeds national industries to transform their THREATENED? on also poses a threat. Additionally, they are suffering from business practices and adopt water being caught in fishing nets, and mercury poisoning due to stewardship practices; gold mining is a particular concern for this species. • creating a global movement to unite and inspire governments, businesses WHAT WWF is using quadcopter drones to spot and count and communities to secure the IS WWF individuals in the Brazilian Amazon as our priority is to gather long-term future of river dolphins, DOING? an accurate count of the population. By doing this, we are their rivers and the communities that capturing the much needed data to determine future depend on them. necessary actions to protect this species. • working towards a signed Inter- In parallel we are also working on Governmental Declaration by 2021 to addressing the major threats to the protect river dolphins worldwide. species, namely mercury contamination due to gold mining, JOIN US. overfishing and poorly planned TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE dam construction. THIS HAPPEN. • RIVER DOLPHINS AT RISK PANDA.ORG
MAHAKAM YANGTZE
YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE YANGTZE POPULATION 1,000 MEKONG IRRAWADDY MAHAKAM MEKONG YANGTZE SOUTH ASIAN RIVER DOLPHIN Indus Subspecies: POPULATION Approx. 1,800–1,900 GANGES INDUS IRRAWADDY GANGES ORINOCO AMAZON POPULATION 3,500–5,000 SOUTH ASIAN RIVER DOLPHIN Ganges Subspecies: INDUS For more information, please contact: Daphne Willems | WWF River Dolphin Initiative Lead | Mobile 6 19302529 +31 | E-mail: [email protected] | to gold mining gold to has been found in dolphins in both Asia and South America. embankments. In Asia, river dolphin habitat has decreased by 50-70% and in South America Asia by 10%. and South America are in the grips an of infrastructure explosion; example, for with hundreds dams of planned in the Amazon, and a potential giant dam in the lower Mekong (Sambor). Mining, agriculture and industrial development that degrade water quality. Deteriorating water quality to due agriculture runoff and industrial effluents is a serious threat dolphins to in Asia, while mercury poisoning due
• Registered Trademark. WWF, Avenue du Mont-Bland, Gland, 1196 Switzerland 22 +41 364 – Tel. 9111 Fax 22 +41 364 0332. For contact details and further information, please visit our international website at www.panda.org © 1986 Panda symbol WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature (Formerly World WildlifeFund) ® “WWF” is a WWF HOW WILL WE DELIVER THIS INITIATIVE? WWF has long-term river dolphin conservation experience, we knowbut that we cannot bend the curve alone. Our solution is mobilize to a powerful global community of partners secure to the future river of dolphins and the communities that depend healthy on and productive freshwater ecosystems.
POPULATION Each sub-population has <100 individuals IRRAWADDY DOLPHIN IRRAWADDY
panda.org TM . TUCUXI POPULATION Unknown le sib s AMAZON r po e h ORINOCO t ge POPULATION Unknown, but likely <5,000 individuals AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN Bolivian Subspecies: o t Working to sustain the natural Working world for people and wildlife RIVER DOLPHINS DISTRIBUTION DOLPHINS RIVER AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN POPULATION Unknown, but likely tens of thousands Unsustainable fishing and fishing-related activities. In Asia, (illegal) bycatch is the number cause one river of dolphin mortality. In South America, intentional killing riverof dolphins fish for bait meat and affects several thousand dolphins per year. Infrastructure projects that affect habitat connectivity, including hydropower dams, irrigation barrages and including the Yangtze, Mekong, Indus, and Ganges and Indus, Asia in Mekong, Orinoco the and including Yangtze, the Amazon and basins South in America. There are however only five existing species river of River dolphins are found in 15 countries,River dolphins 15 in found are covering most ecologically world’s the some of diverse river basins, RIVER DOLPHINS AT RISK RIVER AT DOLPHINS dolphins left in the today world and they are all endangered or critically endangered WWF’s answer disrupt to and reverse this trend is to build a global movement, the River Dolphin Initiative, to secure the long-term future river of dolphins, their rivers and the communities that depend them. on Our vision is that we by will 2030, have stopped the decline of river dolphin populations in Asia and South America and will have restored and doubled the most threatened populations. There are three major global threats river to dolphins: • •