Marine welfare challenges across the northwestern Indian Ocean
The Arabian Sea, bounded by the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, India, and the Horn of Africa, contains globally significant marine biodiversity. Humpback whales, spinner dolphins, dugongs, whale sharks, green and loggerhead sea turtles, and extraordinary fish diversity inhabit these waters. Artisanal and industrial fisheries, plastic pollution, ship traffic, and climate change create substantial welfare pressures.
The Arabian Sea Humpback Whale is the world's most isolated and possibly most endangered whale population, never mixing with other ocean populations. Net entanglement, ship strikes, and noise pollution threaten every individual. Pakistan and India both report significant cetacean bycatch in their large artisanal fisheries.
The Arabian Sea contains the world's thickest and most extensive oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), which is expanding due to climate change. This creates a deadly barrier for fish and other organisms, concentrating them in surface waters where they are more easily caught. Hypoxia-related fish kills cause suffering for millions of animals.
The IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU coordinates turtle protection across the Indian Ocean. Oman's comprehensive Marine Turtle Conservation Program protects nesting beaches and reduces accidental capture. India has expanded the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. Whale shark protection under CITES Appendix II limits international trade but does not address bycatch.