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This is the story of Dolphins in River Ayeyarwady; a rare species in the world. "Labine! Labine! A shout erupted from the starboard quadrant of the boat M.V Sein Yadarna Thein and all eyes turned towards the direction of the pointing finger. Suddenly a gray shape broke the surface and a spray shot up. A dolphin is coming up for air.
Ayeyarwady dolphins had been in the Ayeyarwady River for a long time but little systematic documentation or researches exist. The type specimens were first taken to England in the 1870s by a British naturalist Mr.Anderson and classified as Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) dolphins. But even before that, probable mention of these mammals were found in Chinese texts of 1st century A.D, contemporary with the Pyu civilization in Myanmar, about the people living along the banks of the Ayeyarwady River and that there were River Pigs in the river. This could be the dolphin as the flesh resembles pork.
The village monk had also prepared sleeping quarters at his monastery. It was an old monastery and the monk told the tourists that it was donated to the then village monk by a rich merchant who was a native of the village and made his fortune in Mandalay before the British annexation in 1886. He also showed some antique Buddha statues placed in the prayer hall and pointed out; "See, this statue is lacquer". Indeed this statue was woven with bamboo strips which were then lacquered and gilded with gold leaf. The guests walked around the village and made many friends. Every household wanted them to visit their house and there was always a teapot with steaming green tea and a dish of pickled tea leaves ready.
"When the monks come back from their daily rounds" (soon gan pyan chein) which is 10.00/11.00 a.m. Even when one ask how long it will take to do a job, they will answer" as long as it takes to chew a quid of betel" or "to cook a pot of rice." That night the it seemed all the children had been given permission to play past their bedtime, "the time for youngsters to go to bed" (thu nge ait chein) which is 8.00/9.00 p.m, to see real "palefaces". The guests were exhausted by the time the moon rose in the eastern sky and the village roosters called out the time for "the elders??? sleeping time"( thet gyi gaung cha.) When the roosters next sounded the midnight call, "the time when the village lads come home" maung yin pyan chein, all were already fast asleep. They slept past the roosters??? lin gyet tun than 1 cries at dawn next morning before all were ready to return to Mandalay. Fishing with dolphins in the Ayeyarwady River of Myanmar
To raise awareness about the threats posed to the dolphins and the human/dolphin fishing cooperative, WDCS recently funded the production of educational posters. The posters illustrated the fishing technique with colourful artwork and contained text in Myanmar language on what local people could do to help conserve dolphins. The posters were distributed during talks given at local schools and monasteries located along the banks of the Ayeyarwady as part of an ecotourism programme sponsored by Inland Whale. The idea of the programme was to use the volunteer efforts and financial support of international participants to accomplish research and awareness-raising goals. The people we met in Myanmar were genuinely interested in our work. Farmers along the banks were surprised to learn of the vital role dolphins play in the livelihood of their fishermen neighbours. Buddhist monks gently admonished members of the fishing community not to harm their dolphin friends, and the throw-net fishermen took pride in their relationship with the dolphins that had touched the hearts of international researchers and fellow villagers alike. TRADITIONAL FISHING METHODS V NYLON GILLNETSThe use of nylon gillnets is one of the most serious threats to cetaceans worldwide. These nets are non-selective and result in the accidental entanglement of dolphins and over-exploitation of their prey. Prior to the introduction of synthetic materials, gill nets were made from natural fibres. These nets were thick enough to be detected by echolocation and weak enough so that an entangled dolphin could break free. The heavy weight of natural materials also prevented small mesh sizes that catch all size of fish. This left sufficient breeding stock to sustain productive fisheries. In contrast, nylon nets are strong enough to capture dolphins and can be woven with such a small mesh that even small 'fingerlings' are caught. Traditional fishing methods, such as throw-nets and single hook and lines, are safe for dolphins and selective in the fish species and size of fish they catch. Establishing gill-net free zones and encouraging fishermen to use traditional methods can help ensure the survival of dolphins and sustainable fisheries for local people. Author: Brian Smith WDCS is the global voice for the protection of whales, dolphins
and their environment. Myanmar's river dolphins declining, face
becoming endangered: report
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This
was an expedition to document the interactive fishing techniques
between the Ayeyarwady dolphins known to the international
scientific community as Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris)
and the local fishers of the Ayeyarwady River organized jointly by a
prominent marine biologist and a tour operator from the U.S in
collaboration with Swift winds Travels & Tours Co., Ltd. a local
tour company. Labine is the Myanmar word for dolphins.
The
expedition was here to study the distribution ranges and the
interactive fishing method between the dolphins and the local
fishers. It comprised 8 nature lovers plus Mr. Lawrence Hobbs, a
tour leader and Mr.Brian Smith, marine biologist from the IUCN and
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society from U.K. The group was on
the boat, "M.V Sein Yadana Thein", near Singu on the Ayeyarwady
River. The members had been briefed on their duties on the boat. The
roof of the boat was designated as a lookout platform and a duty
roster drawn up. Each member of the expedition was to stand look out
duty for dolphins. Sectors were also drawn up; one lookout at the
bow, two on either side and one at the stern. Duty time was from
0700hrs to 1600hrs and the lookout were to change duty station every
15 minutes. So everybody has to do lookout duty for 1 hour and then
rest and start all over again. All sightings were carefully
recorded. Time of sighting, location (whether in the lee of a
sandbar or in the fast flowing channel), condition of the sky
(overcast or clear), condition of the river (choppy or calm) the
conditions of the channels (meandering or wide), the current (slow
or fast), G.P.S position etc were all entered in a log book. Apart
from that the expedition members also participated in the
interactive fishing technique with the accompanying fishers.
The
fishers tapped on the side of their canoes with a wooden mallet. As
the dolphins can locate sound by eco-location they will be attracted
to this tapping. But first they must be convinced that the fishers
are not enemies but requesting their help to catch fish!
According to the fishers they can get a whole boatload of
fish with the dolphins??? assistance but if they do it without this
help they get only two-three small fish for the whole day???s work.
There were two dolphins swimming around a school of fish and getting
them together in a small space. The guests climbed into the canoes
to follow the dolphins, better to participate and observe how the
local fishers interact with the dolphins to catch the fish. The
dolphins showed Myint Kyaw Oo which way to turn with their flukes
and he in turn signals his father with his hands from the bow of the
canoe to follow the dolphins. Finally the fluke slapped the surface
of the water and Myint Kyaw Oo is ready. He cast the net exactly to
the spot indicated by the dolphins and then slowly pulled it in.
"Father, that???s Thar gyi ma and her son who helped us. Thanks to
them we have a big catch today," Myint Kyaw Oo said to his father.
All the dolphins living on this stretch of water had been given
names by the fishermen. Thar gyi ma a mother with a calf, Bay gya ma
means a dolphin with stripes on the sides etc.
This interactive
fishing between the fishers of the Ayeyarwady River and the dolphins
was documented both on video and still cameras by the tourists who
had accompanied the father-son fishing team on their canoe.
Marvelous! Extraordinary! were some of the exclamations from the
accompanying crowd. The boat returned to Hinthagon village where the
day???s catch was distributed free to all the villagers, compliments
of the research expedition members, which made the whole village
happy. Hinthagon village is a typical Myanmar village. The villagers
earn their living by either fishing or as cultivators. Their easiest
means of transportation is by river, where there is a daily shuttle
to Mandalay.
Although there are mechanical clocks in the village time
here is governed by nature. The village roosters are their
time-keepers. Villagers plan their days and nights based on the
height of the sun. For Instance, htan ta phya means when "the sun is
about the height of the palm tree" which is about 8.00/9.00 a.m.
It was a precious moment to witness
the idea of living wildlife being critical to the health and
sustainability of humans so beautifully demonstrated in the
Ayeyarwady River of Myanmar. With a flick of its half submerged
flukes, an Irrawaddy dolphin gave the final push to herding a school
of fish into a concentrated mass against the shore. The motion was
also the signal for Ko Than Hlun to throw his net. After it hit the
water, several dolphins surfaced in a fast rush around the outside,
appearing to pounce on fish attempting to escape the sinking net.
The fisherman then pulled up the net. It appeared like a Christmas
tree packed with silver ornaments of fish. Meanwhile, the dolphins
moved to the centre of the area where they now appeared to be
feeding on fish that had escaped entanglement in the net but were
momentarily stuck in the mud. The fishermen pulled the fish from
their net with Cheshire cat grins while the dolphins swam offshore,
contentedly rolling and rubbing in social play.
When all the fish
had been removed, Myint Kyaw Oo, began tapping the side of the canoe
with a conical wooden pin in decrescendo drum roll beats. The
dolphins came closer and the fishermen signaled that they were ready
to throw their net. They slapped the water with the flat end of
their paddle, dangled the lead weights of the net on the deck of
their boat, and voiced a guttural sound in their throats that
sounded like a turkey in distress. Two of the dolphins then broke
off from the others and began swimming in decreasing semi-circles
around the bow of the boat. Fish splashes broke the surface as the
dolphins herded the fish closer to the shore. The other dolphins
lingered on the outside, according to the fishermen as "rear guards"
in case the fish got away from the other animals working close to
the boat. In this manner, I watched a generations-old fishing
cooperative practiced for the benefit of dolphins and humans. It was mutualism at its most basic level-two species helping each other
obtain food.
I had met the father-son fishing team of Ko Than Hlun
and Myint Kyaw Oo while conducting a survey for Irrawaddy dolphins
in the Ayeyarwady River above Mandalay. I was immediately intrigued
with their tales of fishing with dolphins. They revered the dolphins
as the benevolent kings of the river but also loved them because
"they dance like children." They knew the animals well and claimed
to be able to identify individuals by distinctive features of their
appearance or behaviour. They told of a dolphin, now dead, named
"Jet Ma," ('fast female') that was legendary in her abilities at
herding fish. The fishermen said that the adult females take the
lead in the fishing activity and are the only ones that work close
to the boat. They recognize females by their narrow tailstock and
the presence of calves. Later on we fished with "Goat Htit Ma" or
"thick-necked female." The fishermen said that this dolphin was one
of the best of her generation at herding fish. Currently, though,
her yearling calf kept trying to help with the herding but succeeded
only in scattering the fish. We also watched "Htaung Yan Ma" or
"female that shakes her tail" live up to her name by waving her
flukes high in the air, looking as if she was standing on her head.
I felt privileged to accompany Ko Than Hlun and Myant Kyaw Oo while
they fished with the dolphins but also tried to remain aware that
what was a fascinating phenomenon to me - the cooperation between
humans and dolphins - was the source of life-giving sustenance for
them. Unfortunately their livelihood and the dolphins are threatened
by the increasing use of gillnets. Fishermen told us that nylon
gillnets were rare in the Ayeyarwady River until several years ago
when import restrictions were lifted and cheap factory-made nets
became available. The fishermen explained that the use of gillnets
is increasing because the nets are inexpensive; require little skill
to use, and are highly profitable because they catch all sizes of
fish. We also observed gold mining dredges that use mercury for
purifying the ore. Mercury is extremely toxic. When introduced into
rivers it bio-accumulates and becomes magnified as it moves higher
up the food chain - reaching the highest level in fish-eating humans
and dolphins. Mercury is also passed through the placenta and
mother's milk, thereby giving the young a dangerous "headstart" on
their own accumulation.
