Although the wildlife protection law forbids it, an endangered Ganges river dolphin (shushuk) was auctioned openly at the Daulatdia ghat fish market in Goalanda upazila, Rajbari. At about 7am on Friday a local fisherman bought it for Tk 2,100 at the Gausia fish wholesaler.
The wholesaler's owner, Roushan Mollah, said a fisher named Shariful caught the dolphin in a gill net in the Padma at about 2am on Thursday night; it weighed 15 to 16 kg. It was sold to men who fish for bacha catfish in the river. He said dolphin is used to make a painkilling oil and that this was the first one caught in fishers' nets this year. Two bagarius catfish were also sold at the market.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Ganges river dolphin as endangered on its Red List.
Goalanda's upazila fisheries officer, Anwarul Islam, who was at the market, said the matter fell under the wildlife protection law and the fisheries department could do nothing. District fisheries officer Md Mahabub-ul Haque said the Forest Department or the upazila administration could act, while his department could work on raising awareness among fishers.
Forester Azizul Islam of the Goalanda forest office said hunting, killing, transporting and selling dolphins and bagarius are banned, and signboards warning against it have been put up at the Daulatdia ferry ghat. Saiful Huda, the upazila nirbahi officer, said he had not known of the sale and that a mobile court would take legal action against those involved.
The report was filed by Prothom Alo's Rajbari correspondent.
Photo: an illustration of the Ganges river dolphin, Richard Lydekker / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Prothom Alo
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