Grow Back for Posterity
community-based solutions for wildlife conservation
Fishermen of Hsithe, MyitKanGyi and Myazun villages.
Fisherman of Hsithe village
With fishermen of Myit Kan Gyi village
Distribution of Irrawaddy River Dolphin
Fishing at Hsithe
Fisherman
Map of cooperative fishing villages
Fishing boat at Hsithe
Fishing community at Hsithe
Irrawaddy River dolphin
Irrawaddy Dolphin Protected Area KBA
Mandalay and Sagaing Divisions
Grow Back for Posterity (GBP) has been collaborating with the fishing communities of Hsithe, Myit Kan Gyi and Myazun for the past five years.
The first aim of this collaboration is to support the cultural traditions of the fishermen who fish co-operatively with the Irrawaddy River dolphin.
The second aim is to contribute towards the conservation of the dolphins themselves.
Currently there are thought to be about 80 river dolphins in the upper Ayeyarwady River. They are threatened by a combination of water pollution, the use of gill nets and other illegal fishing practices, lack of food, and disturbance by tourist boats.
Aung Myo Chit of GBP has extensive experience of studying the river dolphin. He was the in-country co-ordinator of WCS's Asian Freshwater and Coastal Cetaean Program. He also worked for the James Cook University, Australia cetacean research unit.
