The locations of three recently reported humpback whale sightings in Pakistan, and a photograph taken by the fishing vessel captains who reported the sightings. More details in the link to the Pakistan Daily Times newspaper article below.
Since 2014, WWF Pakistan has been leading a fisheries observer programme that trains fishing vessel captains to record and share their sightings of high conservation value marine wildlife, such as turtles and whales. This month, vessel captains have reported a number of sightings of Arabian Sea humpback whales, with some sightings being supported by photos and video. This is an incredibly valuable source of data from a part of the Arabian Sea where we know whales were hunted in the 1960’s, but where no formal research has taken place since then to confirm their continued presence in the area.
These sightings featured in this article in the Daily Times of Pakistan. This press is great to raise awareness of Arabian Sea humpback whales and the threats they face in the region, and will hopefully encourage more fishing vessel captains and members of the public to record and report their whale sightings. Kudos to ASWN members, Moazzam Khan and Rab Nawaz for leading this successful programme and sharing its valuable results.
Additional press coverage included multiple spots on Pakistani TV news and:
Pingback: New Infographic from Arabian Sea Whale Network | IUCN SSC – Cetacean Specialist Group