Irrawaddy dolphin conservation effort in the Mekong River

On January 12, the Cambodian government, along with a number of international organizations, announced the conservation of the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin, which is at high risk of extinction.

>>>Precious dolphins appear in Kien Giang

The statement was made after three days of meetings (10-12 / 1) in Kratie province between Cambodian and international experts, representing the Dolphin Conservation Committee and developing the Mekong dolphin ecotourism area. , Department of Fisheries of Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

According to the statement, the parties will work together to develop a strategy to protect the dolphins that live in the Mekong River and also in the lake area on the Cambodian-Lao border and can be launched in April.

Kratie Province, 315 km northeast of Phnom Penh, is home to Irrawaddy dolphins.

Since the mid-70s of the last century, the number of these dolphins has dropped sharply and there are only less than 100 individuals left.

Irrawaddy dolphins are one of 58 endangered species in Cambodia and fully protected under the country's laws.

Three days ago, on January 9, the German News Agency DPA cited a report by the Vietnam Institute of Tropical Biology, which said it had discovered about 20 Irrawaddy dolphins in the area near Ba Lua Island, belonging to the Project Area Kien Giang biosphere reserve of Vietnam.