Bangladesh declares its first marine protected area
The government of Bangladesh has created the country’s first marine protected area in the seas of the Bay of Bengal, which will now help to safeguard the whales, dolphins, and other marine species that live there.
The area, known as the ‘Swatch of No Ground’, spans 672 square miles (1,738 square kilometres), with a depth of more than 900 metres. It is home to species such as Irrawaddy dolphins, finless porpoises, Pacific humpback dolphins, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, and Bryde’s whales.
This landmark decision was kick-started by WDC when, in 2005 we provided vital funds for initial research in the area. Protection of threatened whales and dolphins in Bangladesh can serve to prevent species extinction.
