Now Reading: Bihar fisherman booked for killing Gangetic dolphin in Kosi River
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Bihar fisherman booked for killing Gangetic dolphin in Kosi River
A fisherman has been booked for allegedly killing a Gangetic dolphin in Bihar's Kosi River. The dolphin, a critically endangered species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, was found dead on a…
A fisherman has been booked for allegedly killing a Gangetic dolphin in Bihar's Kosi River. The dolphin, a critically endangered species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, was found dead on a riverbank in Supaul district.
Police said the fisherman caught the dolphin and planned to extract oil from it. After being warned by locals that the act was illegal, he abandoned the carcass and fled. A case has been registered under relevant wildlife laws.
The Gangetic dolphin is India's national aquatic animal and is listed on Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, which grants it the highest level of legal protection. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Gangetic dolphin is one of the few freshwater dolphin species in the world and is found only in the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. Its population in Bihar has been declining due to poaching, accidental entanglement in fishing nets, and river pollution. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, prescribes a jail term of up to seven years for killing a Schedule I animal. Despite such provisions, enforcement along remote stretches of the Kosi remains weak. The Forest Department now faces the task of building a case that can withstand scrutiny in court while also deterring others who may see dolphin oil, falsely believed to have medicinal properties, as a lucrative catch.
Source: ndtv.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
