The Maharashtra government is set to start a 18-month-long study to assess the distribution, population and habitat of coastal cetaceans, primarily the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin and Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, while also trying to document other cetacean species found within 10 km of Mumbai. This is the first time an official assessment of this magnitude will occur in Maharashtra along the coastal waters of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), covering approximately 70 km. The decision was taken on Tuesday after Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar approved the proposal tabled by the Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation during its meeting of the board of governors at Sahyadri state guest house. “It is a matter of pride that Maharashtra has decided to undertake such a unique study to document the wealth of its biodiversity,’’ said Mungantiwar. Commencing from October, the Mangrove Foundation will carry out the study in partnership with the non-profit organisation Coastal Conservation Foundation. The study area will cover the western seaboard, starting at the mouth of Vaitarna river in the north to the Thane creek in the south, as well as the southern tip of Greater Mumbai. The area will also include multiple bays such as Back Bay, Haji Ali and Mahim Bay as well as five river mouths in MMR – Mithi, Dahisar, Poisar, Oshiwara and Vaitarna – which represent the habitat preferred by the two focal species of dolphins and porpoises. The study will delve into examining the habitat preference of cetaceans, species conglomeration and distribution, tissue sampling, and their interactions with fisheries. The objective is to identify the risks caused by human activity to the cetacean population in these waters. This will be accomplished by understanding how near-shore fishing activities, which might result in entanglements and net damage, have an impact on their ecosystem. After evaluating pollutants that may have an impact on their viability and survival rates, the study will try to establish mitigation measures, a senior official said.
