South Asian river dolphin May 2013 India's Ministry of Environment and Forests declared dolphins ‘non-human persons’ and as such has forbidden their captivity for entertainment purposes; keeping dolphins in captivity must satisfy certain legal prerequisites. South Asian river dolphin The South Asian river dolphin ("Platanista gangetica") is an endangered freshwater or river dolphin found in the region of South Asia which is split into two subspecies, the Ganges river dolphin ("P. g. gangetica")(~3,500 individuals) and the Indus river dolphin ("P. g. minor")(~1,500 individuals). The Ganges river dolphin is primarily found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers and their tributaries in Bangladesh, India and Nepal,
Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978 Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978 The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was first passed in 1973 and forms the basis of biodiversity and endangered species protection in the United States. The original purpose of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was to prevent species endangerment and extinction due to the human impact on natural ecosystems. The three most powerful sections of the ESA are Sections 4,7 and 9. Section 4 allows the Secretaries of Interior and Commerce to list species as threatened or endangered based on best available data. Section 7 requires federal agencies to consult with Fish and Wildlife