Pakistan creates 400-kilometer protected corridor for Indus River dolphin as population shows signs of recovery

# What changed Pakistan officially created the Punjnad Indus River Dolphin Sanctuary in June 2026. The new protected zone in Punjab links to an existing reserve in Sindh, together forming a legally protected, continuous 400-kilometer section of the Indus River. The move aims to give the endangered Indus River dolphin, locally called the bhulan, more secure habitat along its remaining range.

# Population update A landmark 2025 abundance study published in Endangered Species Research estimated the Indus River dolphin metapopulation at about 1,987 individuals. That represents a 19.4% increase for the period 2011–2017 and points to gains following earlier conservation actions, such as the ban on dolphin hunting in the 1970s.

# Current distribution and vulnerability

• Gillnet entanglement: From 2008 to 2023, documented deaths show gillnets caused 52% of dolphin fatalities in the Indus Basin.
• Habitat fragmentation: Irrigation barrages, dams and canal networks cut the river into isolated sections, limiting movement and genetic exchange.

# Management and policy implications Officials and conservationists identify several practical requirements for long-term recovery:

• Ecological changes to barrage operations: Modifying water and fish passage at key barrages could reconnect habitats and allow dolphin movement.
• Sustainable fishing arrangements: Current auction-based commercial fishing contracts incentivize intensive harvests that increase the use of gillnets and the risk of dolphin entanglement. Community-led, gear-restricted approaches are proposed to reduce mortality.

# Why Pakistan matters for the species Indus system. A very small remnant population exists in India's Beas River, but Pakistan contains the overwhelming majority of the global population. Losses in Pakistan would leave no comparable population elsewhere.

# Recent conservation tools and monitoring Conservationists have expanded monitoring and research, including the first satellite tagging of Indus River dolphins in Pakistan. That work helps map movements, identify high-risk areas for entanglement, and inform where management actions should be concentrated.

# Immediate priorities for action

• Targeted reduction of gillnet use in dolphin-rich reaches through contract reform and gear restrictions.
• Operational adjustments at barrages to maintain ecological connectivity during critical seasons.
• Strengthened enforcement and community incentives to change fishing practices where dolphins are most abundant.

# Bottom line