Pontianak - West Kalimantan (28/030)-The WWF-Indonesia Marine Program team found another dead porpoise (Orcaella brevirostris) in the turtle nesting grounds of Paloh Subdistrict, Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan, Tuesday (27/3). Over the past 10 months, three of these protected aquatic mammals have been found dead in these waters.

WWF-Indonesia's pesut researcher Dwi Suprapti said the latest finding reflects the high threat of pesut in West Kalimantan. "Compared to those in Kubu Raya waters, those in Paloh waters are much more threatened," she said in Pontianak on Tuesday (27/3).

According to Dwi, one of the causes of the snub-nosed dolphin's death is suspected to be due to accidental capture (by catch) by fishermen's plastic nets. This is very reasonable considering that dolphins are unable to detect the presence of thin and clear plastic nets with their sonar. "Now, when trying to catch fish and shrimp as one of its main food, this is where the dolphin gets caught. They are aquatic animals that breathe with their lungs. When netted, the dolphin cannot take in oxygen on the surface and eventually dies," Dwi explained.

As a result, Dwi continued, the population of this animal is estimated to continue to shrink, mainly due to the busy traffic of ships and speedboats both in rivers and coastal waters. Other factors affecting the threat are high levels of pollution, erosion, and siltation of rivers due to forest and riparian management. "Several cases of death have been reported due to being caught in fishing nets or struck by boat propellers. From reports from fishermen in Temajuk Village, Paloh Subdistrict, Sambas Regency, almost every year they have encountered dolphins caught in nets," said Dwi.

After conducting a workshop that brought together various parties to discuss the fate of freshwater dolphins or better known as Pesut in Kalimantan waters in Jakarta last week, WWF-Indonesia West Kalimantan Program and the Coastal and Marine Resource Management Center (BPSPL) emphasized the importance of uniting joint work programs going forward.

The discussion team attended by several parties such as the Directorate General of Fish Species Conservation, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, BPSPL Pontianak, the West Kalimantan Regional Environmental Agency (BLHD), the West Kalimantan Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, PT Kandelia Alam, PT Bios, National University (UNAS) pug researchers, and WWF-Indonesia has designed Animal Conservation Actions and Strategies for the West Kalimantan region. West Kalimantan Program.

From the discussion held in Jakarta, each team created a joint program and joined the West Borneo Pesut Forum and appointed BPSPL as the focal point or coordinator. .

Dwi said the action plan covers several aspects, including WWF has programmed the dolphin as a flagship species in its five-year program. "BPSPL Pontianak has also committed to compile a study of pesut bioecology as a future work program," he concluded.

Note to Editor
About WWF-Indonesia
WWF is an independent, global conservation organization founded in 1961 in Switzerland, with nearly 5 million supporters and networks in more than 100 countries. In Indonesia, WWF has become an entity of Yayasan WWF Indonesia and is active in more than 25 fieldwork areas and 17 provinces. WWF-Indonesia's mission is to save biodiversity and reduce the ecological impact of human activities. For more information about WWF, visit www.wwf.or.id

About the Bornean Pesut

• The greatest pressure on Bornean dolphin populations comes from habitat destruction such as dam construction, mining, destruction of forests and mangrove areas for industrial purposes and high water transportation activity. Local people generally have a love for this species, so cases of poaching are very rare.
• A fact sheet on the porpoise species Orcaella brevirostris, a description of its ecology, morphology, habitat and threats can be accessed at http://awsassets.wwf.or.id/downloads/pesut.pdf

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• To download the full report of the Orcaella brevirostris porpoise survey in the waters of Kubu Raya and Kayong Utara, West Kalimantan, click here

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For more information, contact:

• Dwi Suprapti, Paloh Turtle Monitoring Officer WWF Indonesia, Email: dsuprapti@wwf.or.id
• Jimmy Syahirsyah, Communications Coordinator WWF-Indonesia West Kalimantan Program, Email: fivejim@yahoo.com
• Jimmy Syahirsyah, Communications Coordinator WWF-Indonesia West Kalimantan Program, Email.
• Kris Handoko, Head of Conservation and Utilization Section of BPSPL Pontianak, Email: krishandoko@gmail.com
• Dionisius Endy, Head of KP3KP Division - DKP West Kalimantan, Email: endyonisius@gmail.com