The pink dolphin, known locally
as bufeo, is Bolivia's only freshwater mammal species
Bolivian President Evo Morales has enacted a law aimed at
protecting a unique species of dolphins that live in the country's Amazon
rivers.
The new legislation bans fishing freshwater pink dolphins and declares the
species a national treasure.
At a ceremony along the shores of the Ibare river, President Morales called
on the armed forces to protect the habitats of the pink dolphins
The species is threatened by erosion, pollution and logging in the
Amazon.
The Bolivian pink dolphin, whose scientific name is Inia boliviensis, is
similar to mammals found in neighbouring Brazil, Peru, Colombia and
Venezuela.
Male Bolivian freshwater pink dolphins can weigh up to 200kg (440
pounds).
An appendix to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Flora and Fauna (Cites) says the species is vulnerable because of
overfishing in the Amazon basin.
But it says the main threat is the contamination of rivers in the region by
mercury, used in illegal gold mining operations.
