Waste fishing gear threatens Ganges wildlife: Study

New Delhi, Nov 26 : Researchers have found that waste fishing gear in Ganges poses a serious threat to wildlife including otters, turtles and dolphins.
The study, published in the journal ‘Science of the Total Environment’, said that entanglement in fishing gear could harm species, including the critically endangered three-striped roofed turtle and the Ganges river dolphin.
Surveys along the length of the river, from the mouth in Bangladesh to the Himalayas in India, show that levels of waste fishing gear are highest near to the sea.
Fishing nets – all made of plastic – were the most common type of gear found.
Interviews with local fishers revealed high rates of fishing equipment being discarded in the river – driven by short gear lifespans and lack of appropriate disposal systems.
The study, led by researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK, with an international team including researchers from India and Bangladesh, was conducted as part of the National Geographic Society’s “Sea to Source: Ganges” expedition.