Bangladesh; Ban Tankers From Sundarbans Mangrove Area Threatening Rare Dolphins & Wildlife

A recent oil spill in the Sundarbans mangrove region in Bangladesh, threatening the life of many rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins among other water wildlife. Please sign and share this petition worldwide in an effort to ask Bangladesh to go after their local utility company and make them accountable for the recent oil spill damage while also encourage the country to ban any further tankers from passing through this area that threatens so much wildlife like these very rare dolphins.

It is just recently that a tanker crashed and caused a huge oil spill within the Sundarbans Mangrove region, an occurrence that has been labeled as an ecological "catastrophe". The tanker was carrying an estimated 75,000 gallons of oil and it collided with another vessel, causing it to partially sink and spill throughout the river that is home to rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins. The spill also spread to another river through a networks of canals in the Sundarbans delta, putting ever more wildlife in peril.

A spokesperson for the area states that the oil spill spread over a 37 mile area in the Shela and Passur rivers of the Sundarbans. He continues to state that “It’s a catastrophe for the delicate ecology of the Sundarbans. The oil spill has already blackened the shoreline, threatening trees, plankton, vast populations of small fishes and rare dolphins. The symptoms of environmental damage will be visible soon, as the water quality has already been damaged. We’ve not started any major clean-up efforts yet. In fact, the forest department doesn’t have the technology to deal with this kind of disaster.”

A small scale cleanup of the oil spill has been launched but it is not enough with the navy boats and government officials currently trying to salvage the tanker. The state-run petroleum corporation is using buoys to try and restrict the oil along with nets to monitor and confine the oil, which is not working well. It is compromising the network of rivers and canals along India and Bangladesh. The spill occurred inside one of the three sanctuaries that has been set up for the areas rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins. These sanctuaries that are now threatened is home to some 6,000 of the animals. Although they are protected and fishermen are banned from these areas, tankers are allowed to enter!!!

Additional comments are that “There are no coordinated efforts to tackle the disaster. The air has become toxic and we got news from fishermen they’ve seen dead fishes. Crabs which make up the largest single group in the forest are facing the biggest threat. And if crabs are hit, the dolphins and tigers will be affected. These rare dolphins will find it very difficult to breathe this foul air." Help us in our efforts to support Bangladesh for a better cleanup to save their waters and the wildlife within, especially these rare dolphins by signing and sharing this petition worldwide on all your media sites.