Freshwater Dolphin Conservation and Welfare

The world's freshwater dolphin species face severe threats from habitat degradation, hunting, bycatch and pollution, with welfare implications for both individuals and populations.

Key Facts

Six species of freshwater dolphins exist globally, including river dolphins in South America and Asia
The Yangtze river dolphin (baiji) was declared functionally extinct in 2006 - the first cetacean extinction in modern times
The Ganges and Indus river dolphins (susu) are Endangered with an estimated combined population under 5,000
The Amazon river dolphin (boto) faces growing threats from mercury pollution from illegal gold mining
All freshwater dolphin species have small geographic ranges making them particularly vulnerable to local threats

Welfare Considerations

Freshwater dolphins face an extraordinary array of welfare threats throughout their lives. Individuals caught in fishing gear may drown or sustain serious injuries. Those surviving in degraded habitats with reduced prey availability face chronic nutritional stress. Mercury poisoning from mining pollution causes neurological damage. The welfare of individual river dolphins is inseparable from the conservation of their river ecosystems.

What You Can Do

Support organisations like the WWF and IUCN working on freshwater dolphin conservation
Avoid products associated with illegal gold mining that pollutes Amazonian rivers
Advocate for strengthening of fishing regulations that protect river dolphins from bycatch
Support sustainable tourism initiatives that provide economic alternatives to dolphin hunting
Donate to river dolphin conservation programmes in South America and South Asia