River dolphins — found in South America and Asia — are among the world's most endangered cetaceans, facing welfare threats from fishing bycatch, pollution, and dam construction.
River dolphin welfare faces distinct challenges from marine cetaceans — confined to freshwater river systems, they are exposed to concentrated human impacts across their entire range. Bycatch in fishing nets causes drowning — a welfare-significant cause of mortality. Pollution concentrations in river systems are far higher than marine environments, causing chronic health harm including reproductive failure and immune suppression. Boat strikes from watercraft traffic cause fatal and sub-lethal injuries. Targeted killing for bait, particularly of Amazon dolphins in South America, causes direct welfare harm at scale. Dam construction causing population fragmentation creates isolated populations with inbreeding depression and reduced resilience. The welfare crisis of river dolphins is inseparable from freshwater ecosystem degradation — protecting river dolphin welfare requires addressing the full suite of threats to the river systems they inhabit.