Using ENDANGERED Pink River Dolphins as bait?? It's disgusting and almost unbelievable, like something out of Silence of the Lambs but it's true!
The Pink River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) are friendly, sensitive, mammals with a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans and in Brazil guareros are killing the few there are left for fish food. They catch Vulture Catfish which only eat dead things (carrion) using dolphins. Instead of say snakes or smaller fish they kill dolphins and use them as bait. They then sell the catfish as far away as Colombia.
Let's end this senseless slaughter and extinction now by having pink dolphin rivers patrolled, cracking down on the shipping vessel and storage suppliers. Together let's stop these violators by any means necessary!
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Commercially, the fish has had a favoable reception, given consumers are unaware of the fish’s disgusting dietary habits and its deplorable method of capture. It's sold under the name Capaz (Pimelodus grosskopfii) and is also known as Mapurito in the Orinoco region and Mota or Simí in the Amazon.
Fishing of this species is mainly carried out in Brazil, where several estates are involved in the"fishing," sale and distribution of Vulture Catfish. Those in the commercial chain include bait killers and fishers as well as storage facilities supplying shipping vessels for transport.
Thank you to World Wildlife Foundation for excerpts from their fact sheet,
