Endangered Ayeyawady Dolphins: Cooperative Fishing Business With Dolphins

According to the Ayeyawady dolphin population list in 2020, there were over 70 dolphins that is a kind of aquatic mammals in Ayeyawady river.

The Ayeyawady dolphins may go extinct and the endangered dolphins found in the river are rare. Department of Fisheries is preserving Ayeyarwady dolphins and starting 28thDecember 2005, dolphin protected areas have been set in the Ayeyawady river from Mingun near Mandalay north to KyaukMyaung. Ayeyawady Dolphin Protected Area is the only place where people can see both Ayeyawady dolphins and the cooperative fishing tradition. There are many advantages of Ayeyawady dolphins for regional fishermen in the fishing processes.

Han Win, Deputy Staff Officer, Department of Fisheries said “Dolphins mostly live in the sea but now we can see in the river. Fishing business with dolphins is only in Myanmar. So, visitors around the world come to see them and it can develop the local tourism industry. It is also responsible for local people to maintain the Ayeyarwady dolphins.”

Dolphins come to the river coast of Mandalay at the end of June every year. The main inhabiting areas of Ayeyawady dolphins are Mandalay, Bhamo and Ayeyawady river. According to the observation, there are about 79 dolphins in Ayeyawady river around Mandalay, about 65 dolphins in Rakhine costal, 59 dolphins in Thininthayi costal, and around 20 dolphins near Meinma Hla island respectively.