August 2010
Posted on 04 August
2010
Snubfin dolphins were not known to exist
before 2005, when they were first scientifically
described.
Sydney, Australia: A new study by WWF into
one of the world’s rarest and most threatened
species has found two out of three snubfin
dolphins in Roebuck Bay near Broome, Western
Australia have been injured by boat strikes
and fishing gear.
Snubfin dolphins are
Australia’s only endemic dolphin species
and are found only in Australia’s tropical
northern waters. The species was not known
to exist before 2005, when it was first
scientifically described.
Of 161 snubfin dolphins
identified in coastal waters around the
tourist town of Broome, 124 were photographed
and a staggering 63 per cent bore scars
from vessel strikes, fishing nets and fishing
lines.
Small whales, dolphins
and porpoises (collectively known as ‘small
cetaceans’) are disappearing from the world’s
oceans and waterways as they fall victim
to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat
loss – compounded by a lack of conservation
measures such as those developed for great
whales, according to a 2009 WWF report.
Small Cetaceans: The
Forgotten Whales revealed that all small
cetacean species for which the population
trend is known are in decline, and inadequate
conservation measures are pushing them toward
extinction.
Small cetaceans fulfill
a critical role in their environment, stabilising
and ensuring a healthy and productive ecosystem.
They also are part of the highly profitable
whale and dolphin watching industry, which
generates around US $2.1 billion each year
worldwide.
“It’s startling to think
that a rare population of Australia’s only
native dolphin species would be
carrying such a high number of injuries,”
said Lydia Gibson, WWF-Australia’s spokesperson
on tropical marine species.
“The area where these
dolphins feed and breed is a hotspot for
boating and fishing. Human activity is having
a massive impact on the resident population
of these rare dolphins.”
WWF researchers discovered the high incidence
of snubfin dolphin injuries by chance as
they documented the species in and around
Roebuck Bay.
The study’s findings
did not include snubfin dolphins that may
have died from their injuries (unrecoverable
due to strong tides, sharks and other scavengers),
meaning the proportion of strikes could
be far higher.
“Roebuck Bay’s shallow
waters are popular for recreational boating
activities. On top of this, coastal development,
petroleum exploration, tourism and fishing
increase the number of vessels in the area
and add to the risk of these dolphins being
injured,” Ms Gibson said.
ING DIRECT, Australia’s
largest online bank, has funded WWF’s snubfin
dolphin campaign since 2007, working closely
with the conservation organisation on its
snubfin projects, including the release
of the latest report.
“It’s remarkable that
of 12 international whale and dolphin injury
studies, Australia manages to top the list
as the country with the highest injury rate
to dolphins species,” said David Breen,
Head of Corporate Affairs, ING DIRECT.
“This new research shows
that human activities are having a huge
impact on the snubfin dolphin’s survival.
We are dedicated to working with researchers
to understand more about these remarkable
creatures, to help safeguard them long into
the future.”
Among many suggested
reforms to help protect this population
of snubfin dolphins, the WWF study recommends:
•?Implementing speed
limits of 5 knots around creeks, mangroves,
seagrass and shallow
areas of Roebuck Bay;
•?Warning boaters to maintain a lookout
for dolphins and other wildlife, and slowing
to
avoid them;
•?Urging fishermen to recover monofilament
line and nets, and not to fish inside mangrove
areas due to high risk of line entanglement;
•?Educating the public and asking them to
help photograph and document local snubfin
dolphins.
“Reform to boat regulation
is critical to the snubfin dolphin’s survival,”
said Ms Gibson. “Simple actions can help
remedy this problem in Roebuck Bay.
“However, it is just
as important for state, territory and federal
governments to uplist the current conservation
status of the snubfin dolphin to ‘threatened’,
and rapidly identify and protect ‘hotspots’
of snubfin dolphins across northern tropical
Australia.”
