HuDoNet releases Network Action Plan for the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin
The Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Conservation Network (HuDoNet) has released its first Network Action Plan, a collaboratively developed framework to guide coordinated research, policy engagement and conservation action for Endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) across their range.
Indian Ocean humpback dolphins inhabit shallow coastal waters in the western and northern Indian Ocean. They occur in 23 range states from southern Africa to southern Asia. Populations are typically small and separated and are closely associated with heavily used coastal habitats, making the species particularly vulnerable to fisheries bycatch, habitat degradation, pollution and other human pressures. While research and conservation initiatives exist in parts of the range, effort and capacity remain uneven and large areas are still data-poor.
Figure 1. An Indian Ocean humpback dolphin launches through the surf in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. © Gwen Penry
HuDoNet was established in 2023 to help address these challenges by connecting researchers and conservationists working on humpback dolphins across the species’ range. The network currently includes nearly 100 members from 18 countries.
The Network Action Plan was developed through a structured planning process adapted from the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group framework. Five thematic working groups — Biological Research; Threats and Solutions; People; Policy; and Network Success — convened a series of online meetings between August 2024 and October 2025 to collate existing knowledge, identify priority gaps and opportunities and agree on feasible, near-term actions.
Rather than attempting to produce a comprehensive species action plan at this early stage, HuDoNet focused on identifying a limited set of achievable, short- to medium-term actions that could be advanced through collaboration within the existing network. The result is a set of thirteen Priority Actions designed to strengthen the evidence base, support practical threat mitigation, enhance community engagement, leverage existing policy and build the organisational foundations needed for longer-term conservation planning.
The Priority Actions include initiatives to expand basic knowledge of humpback dolphin distribution and abundance in data-poor regions, facilitate the analysis and publication of existing datasets and coordinate multi-site studies on key threats such as chemical pollution and fisheries bycatch. Other actions focus on mapping spatial protection measures across the species’ range, identifying synergies with conservation initiatives for ecologically similar species and developing guidance to better incorporate humpback dolphins into Environmental Impact Assessments.
Recognising the importance of social and governance dimensions, the Action Plan also includes actions aimed at strengthening access to behaviour-change resources, testing approaches to education and awareness and improving communication and collaboration both within the network and with external partners.
Figure 2. HuDoNet’s 13 Priority Actions reflect its members’ collective thinking within five conservation themes: Biological Research; Threats and Solutions; People; Policy; and Network Success.
By focusing on coordination, knowledge sharing and targeted action, HuDoNet aims to reduce duplication, amplify existing efforts and support more consistent consideration of humpback dolphins in research agendas and management decisions across their range. The Network Action Plan is intended to be a living document that will guide HuDoNet’s activities over the next few years and provide a foundation for the eventual development of a longer-term, outward-facing Species Action Plan.
The full HuDoNet Network Action Plan is available at HuDoNet’s Action Plan.