News
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
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 ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
Illegal fishing still a threat to Irrawaddy dolphins
Despite strict measures and awareness-raising campaigns dedicated to the protection and conservation of Irrawaddy dolphins, illegal fishing remains persistent on the Mekong River, casting a threat to the already-endangered freshwater species. Mok Ponlok, deputy chief of Kratie Provincial Fisheries Administration, said yesterday the administration has, during ...
Som Kanika