Posted on December, 24 2019

Kratie province – Tuesday 24 December 2019: WWF is saddened that a dolphin calf just died prematurely, aged 11 days. A local villager discovered the dead dolphin floating about 7 kilometres away from Kampi deep pool, north of Kratie town, on Sunday 22^nd and immediately reported it to river guards and local police at the Kampi outpost. Informed of the incident, staff of fisheries administration cantonment and WWF were able to visit the site promptly and collected the animal for examination.

Based on the result of a preliminary examination, the animal died about two days ago and was a male calf, aged 11 days, weighing about 10.5kg. The Research team of the provincial fisheries administration cantonment and WWF were able to identify the dolphin from photographs and affirmed that this animal was one of the other new born dolphins photographed a few weeks ago swimming among adult animals in Kampi pool.

While the research team is working on to determine the exact cause of death, entanglement in gill nets is known as a primary threat to the survival of the Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River.

Between January and December this year, the research team was able to record 13 new born dolphins, but unfortunately also registered, during the same period, a total number of seven dead dolphins, three calves were sadly among them. WWF calls for strict enforcement of the fisheries law and for the ban of gillnet use be strictly reinforced. WWF urges all members of the river guard, local police, provincial fisheries administration cantonment, the Fisheries Administration, provincial administrations of Kratie and Steung Treng and other relevant authorities to vigorously monitor and crackdown on all illegal fishing practices along the Mekong River, particularly the use of gillnets in the Mekong dolphin protection and management zone.

The latest population survey showed that only 92 adult Irrawaddy Dolphins inhabit a 190km stretch of the mainstream Mekong River between Kratie, Cambodia and Khone Falls on the border with Lao PDR. Conserving the majestic population of Mekong dolphins represents collaborative efforts between WWF and the Fisheries Administration, Kratie and Stung Treng Fisheries Administration Cantonments, as well as local communities and partners.


-----------------


For further information, please contact:
Mr Asnarith Tep, Communications and Knowledge Management Manager of WWF-Cambodia
Email: asnarith.tep@wwf.org.kh