Marine Mammal Conservation

Marine Mammal Conservation

Since late 2018, researchers have confirmed the presence of three species of marine mammals in the Gulf of Mottama’s coastal waters: Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides), Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis). The ongoing research is conducted by The Myanmar Coastal Conservation Lab (MCCL), at Point B Design + Training at Mawlamyine University with advice from international marine mammal experts.

To evaluate the status of these animals in the Gulf of Mottama, we will need to estimate how many individuals of each species live in this area. We also will need to estimate how many are killed by bycatch. This will allow us to assess whether bycatch is a serious threat to the Gulf of Mottama’s marine mammals. If it is, then work will need to be done with communities as well as the Department of Fisheries to develop ways to reduce this bycatch. Moving forward with conservation requires working closely with local communities to make sure that dolphin and porpoise conservation does not harm the livelihoods of local fishers. If the local communities are not included in this process, it is very unlikely that conservation efforts will succeed!

The researchers presented the preliminary findings of marine mammal research in Gulf of Mottama at World Marine Mammal Science Conference, Barcelona in 2020 and the team was awarded J. Stephen Leatherwood Memorial Award due to the most outstanding presentation involving marine mammals of South and Southeast Asia. See the link below for the poster presentation.