The Ganges river dolphin population has suffered many population declines as it faces a variety of threats, most of which are as a result of human activities. For example, the use of nylon fishing nets has resulted in the mortality of many dolphins through accidental bycatch. Similarly, the nets tend to remove many of the fish that compose the prey base of the dolphin, despite the fact that these fish fetch little to no income for fishermen. If these types of nets are banned, the frequency of accidental bycatch is expected to decrease dramatically.  The survival of this species is crucial to the world at large as the extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin serves as a harsh reminder of what will happen to the Ganges river dolphin if no intervention is planned.