Dolphins face fishing threat
Fishing offences in the Anlong Kampi Irrawaddy dolphin conservation area are still happening despite a ban, the Kampi fishing community said.
Most fish poachers use electric shock devices with power connected to their nets to catch fish in deep water, a practice that affects rare and endangered fish and dolphins.
Kampi fishing community chief Thon Narong told The Post on Monday that illegal fishing on a large scale must be stopped. Investigations also need to be launched to catch offenders who use illegal devices in prohibited areas.
“They have to send the cases to court or the Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River will become extinct.
“Offenders mostly use electric shocks of 30,000W connected to their fishing nets to catch fish in deep water. They do it at night and even in the daytime,” he said.
He said his community team recently worked in collaboration with the Fisheries Administration to arrest three offenders and recovered many shock devices, batteries, and inductors at the Anlong Kampi Irrawaddy dolphin conservation area.
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
