Local fishermen are being convinced by the World Wide Fund For Nature-Pakistan (WWF) to install “pinger” — an electronic device — on their fishing nets to keep the rare Indus dolphin away and reduce the stranding and mortality of this rare marine mammal.
Sources in fishing communities living between Taunsa Barrage and Ghazi Ghat told Dawn that they were being convinced by the representatives of the WWF to use ‘pinger’ device to check incidents of endangered Indus dolphins being trapped in the fishing nets and dying. The device produces sound waves inside water in response to dolphins’ whistles to keep them away from a particular area.
The ‘pinger’ device is also installed at main canals to keep the Indus dolphins away from entering these water channels and reduce their mortality. In 2012, the devices were installed at Sukkhar Barrage by the WWF for the safety of rare Indus dolphin.
Munawar Abbas, the representative of WWF posted at Taunsa Barrage said the WWF had been working for the safety of rare Indus dolphin and wanted to provide safe aquatic environment to the rare marine mammal.