Wednesday December 28, 2022
Asia News Network —
The Global Fund for Nature and World Wide Fund for Nature Cambodia (WWF) have called on authorities to step up night and day patrols of dolphin conservation areas and prevent illegal fishing, as a third Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin carcass was discovered in the span of one week.
This was the 11th dolphin found dead this year, bringing the total number to 29 in the past three years.
In a December 25 press release, WWF said that the mammal a day earlier was found floating near Koh Trong, about 10km downstream from Kampi pool, Kratie province.
The dead dolphin was an adult female, measuring 196cm long. It was between 7 and 10 years old and weighed about 93kg, it added.
A detailed examination of the carcass by a research team from the Kratie Fisheries Administration Cantonment and WWF concluded that the dolphin tragically passed away after becoming entangled with a longline fishing hook.