Please forward to appropriate stranding response managers, and reply directly to <hosseininejad@plan4land.org>. Thank you, Bill Rossiter Cetacean Society International -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Iran stranding net Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:19:38 +0330 From: <hosseininejad@plan4land.org> To: <rossiter@csiwhalesalive.org> CC: <moshiri@plan4land.org> Dear Sir/Madam, Plan4land is an environmental NGO in Iran (www.plan4land.org). This NGO is conducting different projects on ecotourism, wildlife conservation and environmental education programs for children in Iran. UNDP is one of the main fund providers of this NGO. Since one month ago, plan4land is planning for making a local stranding network in southern coastal areas of Iran. During the autumn of 2007, two dolphin mass mortality events involving at least 152 small cetaceans were reported from southern Iran. IUCN-Cetacean Specialist Group provides assistance in investigating the causes of these events. The investigation team consisted of two CSG members - cetacean biologist G.T. Braulik and veterinary pathologist A. Fernandez. The team visited Iran from 21-25 November 2007. According to the report which provided by mentioned specialists making a National Stranding Network is necessary for the region. Almost nothing is known about the marine mammal species that inhabit the coastal waters of Iran other than a handful of published records in local journals, and the Iranian coastline is among the least studied marine areas in the world (Price et al., 1994). Stranding network will help in gathering information about marine mammals of Persian Gulf and provide educational programs for local environmentalist and people to conserve marine mammals. In the case of two dolphin mass mortality events in Iran it seems that at least for one of them, local nets were the reason behind the mass mortality of dolphins. Plan4land wants to start first steps for making this network by helping local people in south of Iran to make a local network to respond beaching of marine mammals and gather data about the number of beached animals, recognition of aquatic mammals in Persian Gulf and education of local people about the adverse impacts of their nets on marine mammals. To do this educational program plan4land is looking for consultation of organizations which have started similar projects before and take advantage of their experiences. Also we are looking for any amount of fund to run this project as soon as possible. Would you please inform us about your suggestions and experiences in this regard and let us know if it is possible for your organization to help us financially to run this project officially. Thank you for your time, Regards, Parisa Hosseininejad Stranding coordinator Plan for the land Society Email: hosseininejad@plan4land.org Website: www.plan4land.org