Bhubaneswar: The dolphin population has gone up in the Gahirmatha in Odisha’s sole marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district.
According to the dolphin census conducted from December 21 to 23, 2022, a total of 733 dolphins were spotted in the Gahirmatha sanctuary. While this is certainly news to rejoice about, questions are being raised over the safety of the mammals in Gahirmatha.
Acting DFO of Bhitarkanika Adhir Behera said 540 dolphins were sighted in the sanctuary in 2021. The dolphin census was conducted from December 21 to 23, 2022. “We had engaged ten teams to enumerate the dolphins. The census report depended heavily on sighting forms. Forest guards, locals, environmentalists and others were engaged in the exercise conducted in the water bodies of the sanctuary and its nearby areas. The enumerators used GPS to map the exact location of the dolphins during the census,” he said.
The state government declared Gahiramatha a marine sanctuary in 1997 to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles at the Gahirmatha beach. Every year, the state government imposes a ban on fishing in the sanctuary from November 1 to May 31 to protect the turtles. The seven-month-long fishing ban also helps maintain the population of dolphins in Gahirmatha.
