Dolphin friendly

A CHEAP and easy fix could help save the endangered Ganges River dolphin. In the Indian states of Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, fishermen traditionally use oil extracted from the dolphins to attract fish. But this has contributed to a serious decline in the numbers of dolphin, even though they are protected under Indian law. Now Ravindra Sinha at Patna University in Bihar has shown that oil from fish scraps is just as effective at swelling catches (Biological Conservation, vol 107, p 253). He thinks fishermen will switch to the fish oil if there is a scheme to spread the…