Earth Protect Blog

According to recent studies conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) the troubling rate of decline in Amazon river dolphins, sometimes called Pink dolphins for their rosy hue, is due to an increase in villagers poaching the animals for use as fishing bait. Under current estimates, experts believe nearly 3 thousand dolphins are killed each year out of a total population of around 30 thousand animals.

This week, several Amazon conservation organizations will meet in Brazil to discuss what actions can be taken to prevent the continued slaughter of this elusive, yet threatened species.

"This dolphin native to our region has been cruelly slaughtered for use as bait in fishing for catfish, like piracatinga. It is for this reason we want to establish a process that results in the development of effective action to eliminate this cruel and unsustainable activity in the region," Vera da Silva of the INPA said in a released statement.

In a report from the Associated Press published last year, biologists estimated the rate of decline in Amazon river dolphins to be at 7 percent annually, suggesting a sharp spike in poaching for 2011. The article cites a lack of focus on the part of government agencies to combat the problem, along with the economic incentives of poaching garnered by local fishermen.