Blue whale carcass found in Pakistan sparks conservation concerns

A 35-foot blue whale was discovered dead in Balochistan’s Gwater Bay, located near the border between Iran and Pakistan. The team at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) was alerted by a local fisherman in the area who first spotted the whale.

In a statement put out by the WWF-Pakistan, they noted that the whale was likely entangled by fishing nets, and is presumed to have died a few days before the body washed ashore. The organisation also emphasised their deep concern over the loss and called for stronger protections of all marine life.

Despite the shocking news, blue whale spottings aren’t an uncommon occurrence for Pakistan.

In 2019, a similar event took place where a 31-feet-long Bryde’s whale washed up near Balochistan’s coastal area of Gunz. Much like the current event, fishermen found the whale entangled in gillnets. Although the group tried to free the whale, the rescue operation was difficult due to the size of the animal. A few days later, the fish was found dead on a beach in the Gunz area.

In regards to the 2019 incident, Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor at WWF-Pakistan, provided reassurance saying, “Currently, all cetaceans including whales and dolphins are protected under the fisheries legislation of Sindh and Balochistan.” However, he also emphasised that this specific species exists in small numbers in Pakistan’s marine life, thereby needing better conservation protections.

Regular spottings of blue whales aren’t unusual either. In fact, over the past 15 years, numerous sightings have been noted, according to the WWF. Aside from the latest event, the most recent spotting of a blue whale occurred on Balochistan’s Gaddani coast on April 8, 2024.

The main types of whales often sighted in Pakistan are Baleen whales. The top three are Bryde’s whales, Blue whales, and Arabian humpback whales. They are well-known for not having teeth, and instead utilising a baleen filter-feeding system for food consumption.

While fishing nets pose an evident threat to aquatic wildlife, there are a number of factors that affect the endangerment of these animals. WWF’s Ghazi Sallahuddin, Regional Head of Sindh and Balochistan, notes ship strikes, water pollution and climate change as other important elements.

The WWF also reports that whales are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species, and that nearly 10,000 to 25,000 specimens remain worldwide.

Mariam Khan is a trainee journalist at Gulf News