Informatics Publishing Limited

Ketki Jog ¹, Mihir Sule ¹, Himanshu Damle ¹, Isha Bopardikar ², Dipani Sutaria ³

Affiliations
1 The Konkan Cetacean Research Team, 9/A Balaji Apartments, D R Marg, Dadar, Mumbai 400 028, IN
2 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati, Karakambadi Road, Tirupati 517 507, IN
3 College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University Townsville, 1 James Cook Drive, Queensland 4811, AU

Abstract

Postmortem attentive behaviour (PAB) has been recorded across several mammalian species. Here, we document two instances of PAB in the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) along the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra, India. We describe the subsequent behaviours displayed by the care-giving individuals and other group members. In both cases, an adult ‘postmortem attender’, was observed to support and erratically move around a dead calf. In the second case, the adult–calf pair was escorted by a second adult individual. An examination of the carcass in the first instance revealed blunt force trauma under the right flipper of the calf. These findings suggest that closely associated group members may be distressed by injury to or death of an offspring and stress the importance of long-term behavioural studies. We also discuss the evolutionary significance of PAB in the larger context of social behaviour across mammalian groups and the importance of cataloguing these incidents.

Keywords

Epimeletic Care, Mammalian Species, Postmortem Attentive Behaviour, Social Behaviour, Sousa plumbea.

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K. V. Akhilesh ¹, Shoba Joe Kizhakudan ¹, M. Muktha ¹, T. M. Najmudeen ¹, Sujitha Thomas ¹, Divya Karnad ², Dipani Sutaria ³, Merwyn Fernandes ⁴, Trisha Gupta ⁵, Naveen Namboothri ⁵, Vardhan Patankar ⁶, Swatipriyanka Sen ¹, Sijo P. Varghese ⁷, A. Biju Kumar ⁸, Alissa Barnes ⁵, K. K. Bineesh ⁹, Sajan John ¹⁰, Mayuresh Gangal ¹¹, M. Hashim ¹², Vinod Malayilethu ¹³, Zoya Tyabji ⁶, Malaika Vaz ¹⁴, Sandhya Sukumaran ¹, G. B. Purushottama ¹, Livi Wilson ¹, V. Mahesh ¹, Rekha J. Nair ¹, L. Remya ¹, Shikha Rahangdale ¹, P. P. Manojkumar ¹, K. Sivakumar ¹⁵, E. Vivekanandan ¹, P. U. Zacharia ¹, A. Gopalakrishnan ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi 682 018, IN
2 Department of Environmental Studies, Ashoka University, Sonipat 131 029, IN
3 9 Aranya Farms, Shilaj, Ahmedabad 382 115, IN
4 TRAFFIC India Office, New Delhi 110 003, IN
5 Dakshin Foundation, #1818, 9th Cross, 5th Main Road, Sahakar Nagar, Bengaluru 560 092, IN
6 Wildlife Conservation Society-India, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, 2nd Phase, Bengaluru 560 097, IN
7 Fishery Survey of India, Cochin Base, Kochi 682 005, IN
8 Department of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695 581, IN
9 Zoological Survey of India, Chennai 600 028, IN
10 Wildlife Trust of India, Delhi 201 301, IN
11 Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru 570 017, IN
12 Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology, Kochi 682 508, IN
13 WWF-India, ‘Prasanthi’, Kadavanthra, Kochi 682 020, IN
14 Untamed Planet Films, Bengaluru 560 001, IN
15 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248 001, IN

Abstract

Historically, India has been projected as one of the major elasmobranch fishing nations in the world. However, management and conservation efforts are not commensurate with this trend. Along with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, several generic conservation measures are in place at the regional/local level. But India is still a long way from meeting global conservation commitments. We present here the status of elasmobranch management and conservation in India, with the specific objective of identifying the gaps in the existing set-up. We also present recommendations based on a national consultative workshop held at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, in February 2020. We recommend the implementation of a National Plan of Action (NPOA-Sharks) and more inclusive governance and policymaking for elasmobranch conservation in India.

Keywords

Consultative Meeting, Elasmobranch, Fisheries, Management and Conservation, Regulations.

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