Bangladesh Wildlife Conservation Society has launched a month-long programme to hold dolphin fairs at different places in Khulna and Bagerhat districts as part of their awareness campaign for conservation of the aquatic mammal, especially from human hunters. At the beginning of the programme, a two-day dolphin fair at Khulna Forest Jetty on last Saturday and Sunday drew a large number of visitors. In Bagerhat district, dolphin fairs will be held at Mongla Jetty No-1 today and tomorrow, in Morrelganj upazila on February 23 and 24 and at Rayenda of Sharankhola upazila on February 25 and 26. It will also be held at a few other places of Sharankhola upazila from February 27 to March 8. The month-long programme will conclude with a dolphin fair in Batiaghata upazila of Khulna district on March 16, said Elizabeth Fahrni Mansur, director (Training and Education) of Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project (BCDP) of Wildlife Conservation Society. "Dolphins and whales have got amazingly diverse features by nature. And so, steps must be taken for their protection," said Benazir Ahmed, project supervisor of BCDP. The Ministry of Forest and Environment recently declared three areas comprising 31 kilometres of rivers and rivulets of the Sundarbans as sanctuary for protection and conservation of six species of dolphins. In this regard, an instruction from the ministry reached the office of the East Wing of Sundarbans Forest Division (SFD) on January 29 this year. "There are about 9,000 dolphins in the 31-kilometre-long water areas in the Sundarbans. Use of any kind of nets for fishing has been banned within this jurisdiction comprising Ghagramari Camp to Koromjal Patrol Post, Jhongrha Patrol Post to Chandpai Canal and Dudhmukhi Canal to Baroshiala Canal for conservation of dolphins," said Mihir Kumar De, divisional forest officer of SFD (East Wing). Wildlife Conservation Society in association with researchers of Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project detected six species of dolphins after conducting a joint survey in the sea and the Sundarbans for over two years, he added.