THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 12 April 2008 — The state invites holidaymakers to its shores to watch dolphins popping up. But for the aquatic mammal, Kerala is fast turning into hell.
Recently, several instances of fishermen killing dolphins and selling them in the markets have come to light in places like Poonthura near here, Beypore in Kozhikode and Cherai near Kochi — the south, central and northern Kerala.
“We have taken up the issue with the authorities many times but no action has been taken. The humpbacked sea dancers are being hunted mainly because the anglers are ignorant of the law and they face an uncertain future in Kerala,” conservation campaigner Professor Kunhikkannan said.
Dolphin species like bottle noses and spinners are mostly present in the Kerala waters.
“The authorities remain silent spectators while hundreds of dolphins are being slaughtered and sold. Similar is the plight of olive ridley which is a delicacy for many here,” he said.
On Thursday, a dolphin caught in the net was auctioned and sold despite protests by animal rights activists at Poonthura where dolphin slaughtering has become a regular affair.
A mid-sized dolphin could weigh around 100 kg and it could fetch as much as Rs10,000. Most of the time, flesh of the slaughtered dolphin makes its way to the city hotels.
Considered to be one of the most intelligent and jovial animal, the marine mammal is very friendly with humans. A number of militaries have employed dolphins for various purposes from finding mines to rescuing lost or trapped humans.
“It’s not that dolphins are trapped in the fishermen’s net alone. I have seen them being attacked even with harpoons and killed,” said wildlife photographer Balan. “The slayings are rampant”.
Fishermen use small boats for harpooning which is very common on the shores of Lakshadweep.
State officials admit that they regularly receive information about netting and killing of dolphins in Kerala but say that dolphin meat is not consumed in Kerala. It’s a delicacy in some parts of Tamil Nadu and mostly used as baits for sharks elsewhere in the country, they say.
According to World Wildlife Fund, dolphin oil is popularly used as an aphrodisiac and for medicinal purposes. It is also used in soap-making and tanning. Anglers believe that dolphins eat fish and destroy their nets.
“We received complaints and immediately issued warnings against catching dolphins which is protected under the Wildlife Act. If a dolphin gets trapped in a net, the law demands that you immediately release it back into the sea,” V.S. Varghese, chief conservator of forest (Wildlife), said.
The dolphins are included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Act and so the netting and killing of the species attract severe punishment. “Offenders can get imprisonment ranging from one to seven years. We have been attempting to drive home the message that killing of dolphins and possession of its meat is a crime punishable under the Wildlife Act,” he said.
According to a recent survey, at least 1,000 dolphins are killed every year in Kerala mainly in the gill nets. Fishing for dolphins in the Indian Ocean is prohibited by the International Whaling Commission as well.
The state government, meanwhile, is going ahead with its plans to develop an Oceanarium spread over 60 acres at Vypeen near Cherai with private participation at a cost of Rs3000 million. The proposed Oceanarium which will be launched by 2010 is expected to be the largest in South East Asia.
The Oceanarium, the first in India, will have a 250 meters glass tunnel passing through the sea. A dolphinarium and a general aquarium will showcase dolphins and different variety of fish from all over the world. An International Marine Biological Research Center and Center for Marine Living Resources and Ecology Center and a convention center will also be part of the project along with space for events and cafeteria.
