Mother fish of different species have released eggs at several places in the Halda River, the only natural fish spawning centre in South Asia. Hathazari upazila administration and local egg collectors confirmed the release of sample eggs. Preparations for this occasion began on Sunday morning, with egg collectors placing nets at different points in the river to collect the carp mother fish eggs during low tide. Also Read: Neglect endangering red-listed dolphins in Halda River Halda River is now bustling with hundreds of boats, actively engaged in the collection of fish eggs. The fishers said they found 50 to 150 grams of eggs in some places on the coast of Halda after 12 pm on Sunday. The egg collection will continue on Monday at Azim Ghat, Amtua, Ramdas Ghat, Mobarkhil, and Napiter Ghat areas in Hathazari upazila. Also Read: Special programme taken to protect biodiversity of Halda River: Minister Harun, an egg collector, expressed his excitement, saying “I have been eagerly awaiting this moment for the past month and a half. Finally, today I can collect the eggs. If the weather remains favourable, there is a possibility of a higher egg count this time.” He also said that more eggs are expected to be available on Monday. Dr. Mohammad Ali Azadi, a Halda River researcher and professor at Chittagong University, said, “As of 1:30 am, the eggs collected by the dedicated egg collectors are not full-scale or sufficient. Only time will tell if a substantial number of eggs have been collected.” Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Shahidul Alam said, “The new moon phase began on Saturday. The administration is actively supervising the operations, and all government hatcheries are fully prepared." Also Read: Halda fish egg collectors brood on misfortune

The government has taken a special programme to protect the biodiversity of the Halda River, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin on Wednesday. “An action plan will be prepared to implement this programme and once it is implemented, it can be possible to protect biodiversity of 94 kilometer areas of the river,” he said while talking to reporters after attending the 2nd meeting of National Biodiversity Committee, held at the Secretariat. Not only of the Halda River, the government is working to protect the biodiversity of all regions of the country, said Shahab. He also stressed the need for cooperation of people from all walks of life to protect biodiversity. Deputy Minister of the Ministry Begum Habibun Nahar, Secretary Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Environment) Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Director General of Department of Environment Dr. Abdul Hamid, Chief Conservator of Forests Department of Forests Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury and representatives of various ministries, departments and research institutes spoke at the meeting. Read more: Neglect endangering red-listed dolphins in Halda River After receiving the recommendation by the technical committee of the Ministry of Health, It has been decided to send the Vibrio cholerae biological sample responsible for cholera disease to The Wellcome Sanger Institute in Britain as per ICDDRB's request for joint research.  Findings from this research will enable Bangladesh to conduct advanced research on the cholera genome that will help eliminate cholera.          

The endangered Ganges river dolphin is one of two distinct dolphins living in the rivers of South Asia. It lives in the Ganges and related rivers of South Asia, namely in the countries of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The Ganges river dolphin’s range lies within some of the Earth’s most densely populated areas. Typically, both fishermen and dolphins congregate in the same spots where nutrients are rich, currents slower, and fish concentrated. Because of this intersection, Ganges river dolphins are mainly threatened by human activities such as pollution, bycatch, and infrastructure, but also suffer similar consequences of climate change as other marine mammals. Although the Halda River in Chattogram was declared as Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage in 2020, it has gradually become more dangerous for these freshwater mammals. The Ganges dolphins locally known as Utom or Shushuk like to live in clean water.  But Halda's aquatic environment is becoming increasingly unsafe for dolphins due to water pollution, which experts say is a gloomy sign for the environment and Halda as well. The Ganges dolphin was red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species in the country. Read more: Another dead dolphin recovered from Halda River According to experts, there are only 1,100 of these dolphins in the rivers across the world. Among them, there are 170 in Halda alone. Unfortunately, 39 dolphins are documented to have died in the Halda in the last four years, including 6 in 2022. Of these, three dead dolphins were recovered within a span of just one week in July. The last dolphin carcass (39th) was recovered from the Halda River in Hathazari upazila of Chattogram district on November 3, 2022. The cause of the dolphin's death could not be known as the carcass was found decomposed.  These aquatic animals are dying one after another but no one cares. Dr.  Md Shafiqul Islam, a researcher on the Halda River, said fishing is being done illegally in various parts of the river using different types of nets, spears and poison. Besides, food scarcity, pollution, poor water quality and climate change are behind the deaths of dolphins. Lack of awareness about the existing laws among the people, indifference on the part of authorities concerned have made water pollution a negligible crime - even though its effects on the environment can be severe. The authorities concerned as well as everyone involved in Halda must work together to make the Halda a safe habitat for dolphins, added Dr. Shafiqul. According to Halda River Research Laboratory, the local administration has recovered 39 carcasses of dolphins from the Halda River since September 2017 and most of the carcasses bore several injury marks. Read more: Halda fish egg collectors brood on misfortune A research report on the biodiversity and pollution of the two banks of the Karnaphuli River, led by Omar Faruq Russell, associate professor of the Botany Department of Chittagong University, was published in October 2022. According to the report, Shikalbaha and Boalkhali are the two points of the Karnaphuli River where dolphins are usually sighted due to the fewer water vessels. It also mentioned that dolphins are under constant threat due to pollution. Manjurul Kibria, river researcher and chairman of the zoology department of Chittagong University, told UNB that the rate at which dolphins are dying in the Halda River is alarming. Effective steps should be taken now to protect the Halda dolphins immediately. Otherwise, it won't take long for the number of dolphins in Halda to drop to zero. “In 2018, we found the presence of 167 dolphins in Halda. In 2020, that number decreased to 127. In 2022, the number again rose to 147, which is the highest in the rivers of Bangladesh,” he added. Nets are the main cause of death of these dolphins as most of them died after being caught in the nets of poachers, the researcher observed. When asked about this, Hathazari Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Muhammad Shahidul Alam told UNB that they are working regularly to protect the dolphins and biodiversity of Halda River. New action plans are being taken to protect the dolphins, he added. In 2019, the High Court formed a committee to protect Halda river dolphins comprising Chattogram District Commissioner and Chittagong Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department) as Member Secretary. Read more: Miscreants kill dolphin in Halda River According to the instructions of the High Court, the responsibility of protecting these dolphins goes to the Forest Department. But they have no headache in this regard. Locals complained that they did not get any rescue support from the Forest Department upon the death of any dolphin. In this regard, Chittagong Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department) Md. Rafiq said dolphins are dying due to geographical changes. "We are taking necessary measures upon the news of any dolphin's death," he said. Mohammad Mominur Rahman, district commissioner of Chattogram said, "We have stopped all sources that pollute Halda, and 17 industrial plants along the Halda river have already been shut. And the waste from the remaining industries is not allowed into the river.” He also said that the district administration is doing everything necessary to protect the Halda River.  “We have brought the important part of Halda River under CCTV camera. Not only that, we have closed 9 brick kilns adjacent to the river. Motorboats have been completely banned. But we are yet to identify the reason behind the death of dolphins in Halda,” he sighed.

Another dead dolphin was found floating in the Halda river in Chattogram on Thursday morning. The decomposed body of the seven feet long dolphin weighing 60 kg was recovered from near Ajimer Ghat area in Raozan upazila, said Abdus Samad Shikder, Raozan Upazila Nirbahi officer With this, three dead dolphins have been recovered from Halda in a week, he said. Also read: Dead dolphin, loads of fish wash ashore at Cox’s Bazar beach Earlier on Wednesday noon, another dead dolphin came floating near the same area with a part of it head injured. On July 14, another eight feet long dolphin carcass weighing 120 kgs was recovered from Burisorta canal connected with the Halda River. “From September, 2017, a total of 38 dead dolphins have been recovered from Halda river till date. Along with the two recovered from Karnaphuli River the total number stands at 40,” said Dr Manjurul Kibria,  Professor of Zoology department in Chattogram University and coordinator of Halda Research Center. Also read: Two dolphin carcasses found in Turag River He said according to a research conducted in 2020, there were 127 dolphins in the country. “If effective steps are not taken to conserve them soon there will be no Dolphin in Halda  in future,” he added.

Another dolphin was found dead in the Halda River in Hathazari upazila of Chattogram district on Monday. Naval police members recovered the dolphin carcass from Ramdas Munshirhat in the upazila. Professor Manjurul Kibria, co-ordinator of the Halda River Research Laboratory of Chittagong University, said local people spotted the dead dolphin in the morning and informed it to river police. Also read: Another dead dolphin found in Halda River A team of river police buried it near the river. On September 30, local people found another dead dolphin in the same area. So far, local people have recovered 31 carcases of dolphins from Halda River since 2017 and all the carcasses bore several injury marks. Also read: Dead dolphin washes ashore on Kuakata beach

The Bangladesh government has said that it is taking all necessary steps to protect river dolphins and reverse the decline of these amazing cetaceans.

A dead dolphin was found in Halda River of Chattogram on Tuesday night.

The fishermen carry on their ancestral tradition by collecting roe of fishes in Halda River, the country’s only natural breading ground of carp species.

In its first virtual hearing, the High Court on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to immediately take necessary steps to protect dolphins in the Halda River in Chattogram’s Raozan upazila and stop their killings.

A dolphin was killed in the Halda River at Zia Bazar area of Chattogram’s Raozan upazila on Friday.