PHNOM PENH: A week after the death of several dolphins, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Cambodia has asked fisheries officials to patrol and punish perpetrators engaged in illegal fishing in the dolphin conservation area. Most of the dolphins were found to have died because of fishing nets and hooks.

In just one week, from 18-24 December, three dolphins were found dead in Cambodia. An adult male dolphin was found dead in the river near Koh Dambang at the border between Kratie and Stung Treng provinces on 18 December, and two more were found dead floating in the water in Kratie province, due to fishing nets and fishing rods. The three dead dolphins were all adults at reproductive age.

WWF considers the deaths of the three dolphins requisites an emergency call for urgent law enforcement measures to be implemented at dolphin sanctuaries. The organization urges all authorities to strictly enforce the law. There is an urgent need to increase day and night patrols to protect the remaining dolphins from dying due to illegal fishing at dolphin sanctuaries.

WWF-Cambodia Director, Seng Teak, has stated that an increase in illegal fishing activities in the dolphin sanctuary could lead to the extinction of Mekong dolphins if no immediate action is taken to stop them. The deaths of three breeding dolphins in less than 10 days should be taken as a message to authorities at all levels to increase the presence of law enforcement officials in the sanctuary.

"There is no other option but to strictly enforce the law immediately to completely stop all forms of illegal activity in the area where dolphins live," he said.

He urged all relevant fisheries and law enforcement officials to patrol the dolphin area regularly, especially to punish those who commit illegal fishing or other fishing offenses in the dolphin conservation area as a warning to other illegal fishermen to stop those illegal activities.

The WWF-Cambodia director stressed that if this illegal fishing continues, the number of dolphins could be lost in the near future.

Secretary of State and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Net Pheaktra, said that dolphins are considered a living national heritage of Cambodia and only about 89 remain in the Mekong River from Kratie to Stung Treng.

He said that the Mekong River freshwater dolphin is on the list of the greatest biodiversity resources in the Mekong Delta. An inter-ministerial working group led by the Ministry of Environment is preparing to submit the prepared list for UNESCO to consider.

"Every year, many dolphins are found dead, some trapped by fishing nets and others by shock, so join in on Cambodian dolphin conservation and other biodiversity conservation so that Cambodia can preserve its natural value," he said.

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment stresses that the zero-trap campaign launched by the Ministry of Environment is not only for the protection of animals on land and in the air, but also in the water, so conservation is needed.

"In the past, I said that the Zero Trap campaign was not only focused on land and air, but also water traps. I urge people not to enter the restricted area of the dolphin sanctuary, because we have only 89 left. If the dolphins continue to die and have few offspring, at some point we will lose them," he said

It should be noted that in the last three years, a total of 29 dolphins have died, while in 2022, a total of 11 dolphins died.