The Forest Department and ReefWatch Marine Conservation, a registered non-profit trust working on marine education, conservation and outreach activities, have jointly launched a pilot project in the State on protecting marine wildlife.
The ReefWatch and the department signed a memorandum of understanding on the same in the city on Tuesday. The project is aimed at establishing the cause of death, treating and rehabilitating injured and sick marine animals that wash up to the shore.
The team has a specialist marine wildlife veterinarian and a marine biologist on board. It is based in Kundapur, Udupi district. The helpline number to report marine strandings is 9740892394.
After conducting an initial survey in the State’s coast from Karwar to Mangaluru between March and September, 2019, ReefWatch and the Forest Department found over 40 cases of marine strandings, including species of whales, dolphins and sea turtles, according to Shantanu Kalambi, veterinary surgeon, ReefWatch Marine Conservation.
The department and ReefWatch have worked together to create a team to respond to such events, he said in a release.
