Drifting down the moonlit Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) River in Myanmar, gangs of fishermen drop car batteries into the water. Electrocution, or shock, fishing is punishable by hefty fines and years in jail, but that hasn’t deterred fishermen, who can stun entire schools of fish at once and rake in the profits. Come morning, traditional local fishermen rehearse their dance with the Irrawaddy river dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris). The fishermen rhythmically tap sticks on the side of their canoes and make chattering noises until smooth grey bodies break the surface. With a flick of a dolphin’s flukes, the hunt is on. The dolphins herd fish into the outstretched nets of the awaiting fishermen. When the men pull in their nets, they throw fish back for their partners. We used to name the dolphins, but the ones we named are all dead now, said U Nay Myo Aung, a tall and well-built 34-year-old cooperative fisherman and father of two sons living in Inndawang village. Aung is working with a travel agent and welcomes at least three groups of guests every month for dolphin tours. Cooperative fishing A symbiotic tradition This old, symbiotic relationship between human and animal is unique but it may not last long. Thanks to shock fishing, cooperative fishermen say that most of their catch is gone by morning. It takes them longer to find enough fish to feed their families, and the fishermen warn that shock fishing is directly killing the dolphins as well. I see at least one or two dead dolphins every year, recalls U Htay Win, a farmer and self-proclaimed dolphin watcher for the past 15 years. On April 28th, Win spotted a dead dolphin washed ashore along the Myanmar River, allegedly due to electrocution. The dead dolphin was only three-and-a-half years old, according to Win. At 54 years of age, Win sports a Save the Irrawaddy dolphins T-shirt, an outfit he dons to welcome guests or patrol the river. He takes his boat out twice every day, once in the morning and once in the evening, checking for missing or injured dolphins. There are usually nine or ten dolphins in each group near the villages along this stretch of the Irrawaddy. He reports to the police whenever he sees fishers using shock fishing. I realized that dolphins are our best friend while I was out fishing at a very young age. Sometimes if you fall asleep in your boat, the dolphins will come and try to wake you up! said Win. He started doing dolphin protection work because he wants to thank the dolphins for taking care of him and his fellow fishers. Roughly sixty fishermen in six villages still cooperatively fish with the dolphins. Win learned the special whistle to attract the dolphins from an elderly person. Afraid this traditional knowledge would disappear, he started a ten-day workshop to teach the skill to others.