Dear Friends,
Rare river dolphins in Myanmar are in danger of extinction because gangs of fishermen are luring dolphins to their boats, then illegally using electronic pulses to stun fish, hurting the dolphins as well.
Jessica started a petition asking the government in Myanmar to protect these rare dolphins by cracking down on illegal electrofishing. Add your name now to save this species!
Electrofishing sounds terrifying for water wildlife: copper wires are threaded through nets and then connected to car batteries and high-voltage transformers. A shock is released in the water, stunning fish so they can no longer swim or use their muscles. Then fishermen scoop them all up in their nets.
According to a report in National Geographic, fishermen lure the dolphins over to their boats to help them find fish. But recently rogue fishermen have been taking over the rivers, using higher voltages and killing off all the fish – and in the process some dolphins, too.
Not only have dolphins been injured and killed by this method, but the commercial fishing operations are using electrofishing to gather up all the fish in the rivers, depleting the dolphins' only food source.
Given how rare these dolphins are, it's urgent that the government step in and enforce the law by putting an end to electrofishing – but we need to demonstrate the urgency by showing the call is coming from people all over the world who care about dolphins. Add your name now to protect rare river dolphins in Myanmar from cruel electrofishing.
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