Ghost net kills another humpback dolphin on Kozhikode coast
An endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin was found dead on Kozhikode beach after ingesting a discarded fishing net, known as a 'ghost net'. This marks the second such incident in recent months, prompting calls for better management of marine debris.
Why it matters
It highlights the severe impact of abandoned fishing gear on endangered marine biodiversity and the need for stricter coastal environmental protections.
Dolphin carcasses with fishing nets in their digestive tracts continue to wash ashore on Kozhikode beach. In the latest incident, an Indian Ocean humpback dolphin ( Sousa plumbea ), an endangered species on the IUCN Red List, was found dead, with a necropsy confirming that it had starved to death after ingesting a fishing net.
Officials said the carcass, measuring approximately 158 cm in length and 140 cm in girth, washed ashore on Kozhikode beach on Thursday (September 10, 2026). The necropsy was conducted by K.M. Manojlal, chief veterinary officer at the District Veterinary Centre, Kozhikode, in the presence of officials from the Kozhikode Range Forest Division.
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