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JUNE 20th. 2010

IWC 2010 – Nepal meet Morocco

The International Whaling Commission’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Agadir, Morocco, 2010

Place of the Commission:

Centre de Congrès
Les Dunes d’Or
Agadir
Morocco

Tuesday, the 22nd of June 2010 – NEPAL MEETS MOROCCO INFORMATIONDAY

Knowing that Nepal’s dolphins are not part of the IWC meeting, there is a need to say that those animals are a threatened species and they will die off very soon, if no one takes care of the pollution of the KARNALI River in Nepal.

Bernhard Bechter will be available the whole day on Tuesday the 22nd at the Centre de Congrès to share information, to impart his experience and to present results about his three expeditions in Nepal at the Karnali River between 2002 and 2010 with delegates, NGO’s and journalists.

The Situation at the Karnali River is appalling: “Only one dozen dolphins survived!”

Only a few gangetic dolphins survived in Nepal. The assignment of the Bardia National Park management seems to be very feeble. The military which is to be functioning to protect the National park does not have enough manpower, to provide a perfect service and control the huge size of this area. Villages’ west sided the river are still using poison for fishing. Fishes are widely harvested across the River because of indigent people, even the smallest fish they try to catch. Therefore the dolphins do not have enough food. The dam closed to the border of India/Nepal is dividing the whole ecosystem, just to denominate a few problems responsive for the extinction of the dolphins.

A possibility to help the dolphins in an easy way:

Bernhard Bechter’s idea is pretty common and meets with magnificent feedback from Nepal’s villagers of the Bardia National Park. Providing dolphin watching in 2 man rafts would give a good profit to people living at the Karnali River. Bernhard Bechter has already given one completely raft equipment to the village, and taught some serious jungle guides a safe handling of the boats and a gentle Treatment of Tourists. Bernhard Bechter has worked out a perfect tour with Hukum Shahi, which is including a jungle walk with tiger-, elephant- and rhinoceros watching. Subsequent as a highlight dolphin watching would be offered.

The reaction of the locals understanding the situation is as following: „We have to save the dolphins, because they can bring us good money! “

Some of the local guides are explaining the situation to the indigent people of the villages along the river. Showing them, how dangerous poisonous fishing is as well for humankinds. And also suggest them that Nepal’s dolphins are very special creatures deserving to be saved.

Tourism at the Bardia Nationalpark

The tourism in this region of Nepal needs to be developed. The way from Kathmandu to this area is quite long and exhausting. The political situation beside Nepal’s main tourism areas is still very unstable. The roads are often blocked by a strike, do not really help to develop tourism, and minimizes the number of foreign Visitors.

Giving western people support, to visit the Bardia National park or to join the next River Dolphin Expedition in November 2010

Bernhard Bechter is preparing the next River dolphin Expedition in November 2010 and invites NGO’s, Delegates, Biologists and all interested people to join this expedition to give a requirement adjustment to the Karnali area.

Objectives of Expedition

-    Increasing the number of Tourists
-    Organisation of the major dolphin counting at the Karnali River ever done
-    Teaching local people the importance and speciality of their dolphins and a worldwide interest on their survival
-   Forcing the National park management how to be more active and effective and that much more can be done then taking entry fees for the National park
-   Visiting the army station and motivate the crew to do their very important job on a very high level of responsibility
-   Obtaining more boats for dolphin watching tours, helping the tour guides feeding their families
-   Publication of participants reports in their native countries and web sides
-   Diffusing Knowledge of the existence of Karnali River Dolphins, also known as “the Wales” of Nepal

Organizing the River Dolphin Expedition & costs:

The program will be worked out by Bernhard Bechter during summer 2010 and will be posted on www.whalewatchingfuture.info.

Meeting point and the central office will be placed at Hukum’s Jungle Base camp (closed to the Army station).

Participants of the expedition have to arrange their journey to the Bardia National park themselves (A Flight ticket to Kathmandu needs to be organized and a transfer from Kathmandu to the Bardia National Park by bus or car, which means a day trip. Info about booking the Tickets and travelling will be posted here)

There is a possibility to get accommodation in very traditional lodges in the village with very delicious food. You pay your Nepali accommodation on location, so no travel agency has to be paid. The profit should be benefited directly to the local people.

Minimum time to stay will be one week, staying longer is indeed not restricted.

Program:

We’ll cover the whole Nepali part of the Karnali River, where the dolphins can be found. There will be boat crews and country crews. We’ll try to cover the complete River for at least 3 censuses, lasting 24 hours each. So we’ll have the chance, to spot all dolphins along the river. After that census we’ll have a serious number of dolphin’s population and there can not be guessed anymore, that there are plenty of dolphins just hiding somewhere anabranch! (This information is heard many times, but anabranch the water level is to flat between the pools, which makes it impossible for the dolphins even to get there)

There is also a possibility to join the combined jungle – dolphin watching tour the day’s between the 24 hour censuses.

As soon as we will have an idea, about the number of participants of the River dolphin Expedition we’ll calculate how many boats can be brought to the local guides. The system will be as following:

The local guides will guide the participants for the boats they will get, meaning that they will have to work for their equipment. Just donating the equipment to them makes them not much caring for the equipment. The local guides will get money for providing food and accommodation.

The National park will get the entry fees from all participants.

The cost’s of one boat set including transport and safety equipment (throw sacks, live jackets, first aid packs,…) will be around 1.500,- € (we’ll get good shape second hand equipment from a big rafting centre in Austria for a special rate) and this costs will be split between the participants. As more participants are joining the project, as more material we can provide to the local guides. Logos of all organisations who join the project will be mounted on the boats.

Why do not only donate money to the Bardia Nationalpark

Past experience showed us, that the profit for the local people from the Bardia National park is very low. It is very important, that a maximum benefit of this project is directly handed out to the people living there. The good experience of earning money with the River dolphins ensures them a future in the Karnali River. The National park will earn enough money with entry fees from the participants. Get your own idea about the quality of the National park service, by joining the project!

TAKE THE CHANCE TO JOIN THIS UNIQE PROJECT & BRING YOUR SUPPORT TO NEPAL

!!!The manner of organization of the scientific management will be decided in the next few weeks!!!

Any information needed, please talk to Bernhard Bechter at the IWC conference in Agadir Morocco on Tuesday, 22nd of June 2010.

Contact if you wanna be part of the expedition as participant: