Home / Environment / Plastic Net Kills Endangered Dolphin on Kerala Beach
Plastic Net Kills Endangered Dolphin on Kerala Beach
10 Jul
Summary
- An endangered dolphin died after swallowing a 2 kg plastic fishing net.
- Marine mammal strandings are rising along India's coastline yearly.
- Plastic pollution and ghost nets are major threats to marine life.
On July 4, 2026, two marine mammals, an Indian Ocean humpback dolphin and an Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, washed ashore dead on Kozhikode beach in Kerala. A necropsy revealed the dolphin, an endangered species, had ingested a nearly 2 kg plastic fishing net. This net became lodged in its esophagus, preventing normal feeding and leading to its death. The porpoise likely died from suffocation, possibly due to entanglement in fishing gear.
These incidents underscore the growing human-induced stress on marine ecosystems along India's coast. Data from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute shows a concerning trend of marine mammal strandings, with 171 recorded in 2024 and 161 in 2025. Indian Ocean humpback dolphins accounted for a significant portion of these strandings, with numbers increasing from 47 in 2024 to 82 in 2025.
Experts identify plastic pollution and 'ghost nets'—abandoned fishing gear—as critical threats. These persistent materials cause digestive blockages, internal injuries, and entanglement, leading to injury, drowning, or starvation for marine life. Conservationists advocate for science-based, location-specific measures and public participation through reduced plastic use and beach clean-ups to protect these vulnerable species.
