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Indonesia takes emergency solutions to save Mahakam dolphins

Based on the latest data as of early February, only 66 of these endemic Mahakam River mammals are estimated to remain in the wild. This situation has prompted Indonesian authorities to take concrete and decisive actions to prevent the species from slipping into extinction.

Two Mahakam dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are seen swimming. (Photo: ANTARA)
Two Mahakam dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are seen swimming. (Photo: ANTARA)

Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Environment is currently preparing emergency measures to save the Mahakam dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) population, which has reached a critically endangered phase with its numbers declining drastically.

Based on the latest data as of early February, only 66 of these endemic Mahakam River mammals are estimated to remain in the wild. This situation has prompted Indonesian authorities to take concrete and decisive actions to prevent the species from slipping into extinction.

The condition of our dolphins is deeply concerning, with the population now down to approximately 66 individuals," he said following a field inspection at a Mahakam dolphin conservation area in Kutai Kartanegara district.

Following a field inspection at a Mahakam dolphin conservation area in Kutai Kartanegara district, Rasio Ridho Sani, Deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control of the ministry said the government must take serious action.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment also officially designated two villages in Kutai Kartanegara as Mahakam Dolphin Conservation Villages to strengthen community-based protection.

Sani said the decline in the dolphins' population had been triggered by the massive damage to their habitat as a result of human and industrial activities. He added that several main threats have been identified, including land conversion and clearing in upstream areas, and coal mining activities that impact water quality.

Rasio stressed the need to address these threats comprehensively, whether they stem from corporate activities or the actions of communities along the Mahakam River.

The Ministry of Environment noted that saving the dolphins requires inter-sectoral collaboration with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, local governments, and transportation authorities, to ensure that economic activities on the river can continue without sacrificing the dolphin ecosystem.

The government is also committed to taking firm action against any parties proven to be destroying the animals' habitat./.

VNA
#Mahakam dolphins #Indonesia #extinction #community-based protection Indonesia
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