The ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi, has carried out drone-based survey to study marine mammal fishery interaction. This is the first initiative in the country to use drone technology for marine mammal research, providing a significant boost to marine mammal conservation efforts.
The study was carried out under the Marine Mammal Stock Assessment in India (MMSAI) project funded by the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
Traditional survey methods are often limited by time, costs, and challenges in monitoring elusive marine species in vast ocean spaces. However, drones offer a more efficient, non-invasive, and cost-effective solution to gather comprehensive information. This innovative approach is expected to provide crucial data on the behavioral aspects, development of scientific mitigation measures and conservation of protected marine species said George Ninan, Director of CIFT.
The research team consists of Prajith K.K, Paras Nath Jha, Dhiju Das P. H., Rithin Joseph, Hrishikesh P. and Immanuel Shaji successfully identified a pod of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins from off Kochi. These dolphins are listed as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.