News

Cambodian Leader U-Turns on Rare Dolphin Conservation Law

PHNOM PENH — Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Thursday cancelled a law he created just two months ago to protect critically endangered Mekong dolphins as the mammals continue to die from illegal fishing activities. The population of Irrawaddy dolphins in the river Mekong has dwindled from 200, ...

AFP

Cooperation with China crucial to protect rare Mekong River dolphins in Cambodia: official

PHNOM PENH, July 15 (Xinhua) — The ongoing cooperation with China is essential to help protect critically endangered Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins in Cambodia, a senior official said on Thursday. Phay Somany, deputy director of the Fisheries Conservation Department at the Fisheries Administration of Cambodia’s Ministry ...

huaxia

Cambodia records 1st rare Mekong river dolphin death in 2023

PHNOM PENH, March 22 (Xinhua) — A rare Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin has been found dead after being entangled in fishermen’s illegal gillnets in northeast Cambodia, the Fisheries Administration (FiA) said in a statement. The 2.38-meter-long male dolphin, 160 kg in weight and aged about 20, ...

huaxia

Cambodia creates safe zones for rare Mekong River dolphins

Cambodia has created Irrawaddy dolphin conservation and protection zones covering a 120-km-long stretch of the Mekong River in the Stung Treng and Kratie provinces, according to a sub-decree. Signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the sub-decree said the safe zone for the rare animal included 35 ...

Irrawaddy Dolphins Near Extinction as Mekong Region Develops

There are only 80 Irrawaddy dolphins left in a loosely-patrolled stretch of the Mekong River in central Cambodia. Hydropower dams are shrinking freshwater pools in their main habitat, leading to more contact with fishermen who threaten their survival. Three dolphins died in December, accounting for about 5% of their ...

Kevin Varley

Cambodian leader orders Mekong safe zones to save rare dolphins

Cambodian premier Hun Sen on Monday ordered the creation of conservation zones on the Mekong river to protect critically endangered dolphins, after three were killed by fishing nets and lines last month. The Irrawaddy dolphins, known for their bulging foreheads and short beaks, once swam through ...

AFP

Death of last river dolphin in Laos rings alarm bells for Mekong population

Known only by his identity code, ID#35 was the last individual of a doomed subpopulation of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris). He was the sole occupant of a deep pool in the Mekong River that spans the border between Cambodia and Laos, and fought for ...

Carolyn Cowan on

Last Irrawaddy dolphin in northeastern Cambodia dies

The last known endangered freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin on a stretch the Mekong River near Cambodia’s border with Laos died this week, after it was reported snagged in a fishing net, wildlife officials and villagers in the Southeast Asian countries said. “We are deeply saddened by the ...

RFA Staff

Floating guard post to protect Irawaddy dolphins in Mekong

The Kratie provincial authority in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Cambodia) is preparing to build a guard post in the Anlong Kampi area of the Mekong River in Chitr Borei district’s Sambok commune to watch for illegal fishing activities that may affect ...

Nov Sivutha

Local efforts help protect the endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins in Myanmar

Irrawaddy dolphins can be seen in three major rivers in Southeast Asia: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong. In Myanmar, the dolphin is known for its close relations with local fishers as they often help to drive shoals of fish towards ...

Thinn Nay Chi Sun

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