STUNG TRENG: The Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced the first dolphin death of 2023 on Sunday, 19 March, at Koh Kon Sat Dolphin Conservation area in Koh Preah Commune, Siem Bok District, Stung Treng Province.

According to the Fisheries Administration and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the dead male dolphin (with ID number 056) is roughly 20 years old, weighs 160 kg and is 2.38 meters long. Scars on the abdomen, base of tail and lateral fins suggest that the dolphin likely died from getting caught in a fishing net.

The Fisheries Administration has repeatedly warned that dolphins in Cambodia are currently threatened by fishing nets, hooks and electric devices. In response to this threat, the government issued a sub-decree on 27 February 2023 to officially designate a 120 square km protected dolphin conservation area, spanning from under the Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge in Stung Treng to the head of Koh Trong in Kratie, where the use of fishing nets and other illegal fishing gear are strictly prohibited.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is also cooperating with the Kratie and Stung Treng provincial administrations, as well as other relevant partner organizations, to continue strengthening the protection of dolphin habitats and educating the local people about the invaluable global value of Mekong dolphins and their importance to the sustainability of natural fisheries resources.

The Fisheries Administration has said it will continue to cooperate with provincial administrations and WWF, as well as seek more partners, to strengthen protection by selecting additional areas of the river to protect, mobilizing more regular patrols in conservation areas to prevent the use of nets and illegal fishing gear, raising more awareness on the importance of protecting dolphins, and further identifying occupational alternatives for fisherman in the area who rely on the use of nets.

The Administration calls on all fishermen in the area to immediately cease the use of nets and other illegal fishing gear to ensure the sustainability of the dolphin conservation area, which will help boost tourism and enhance Cambodia’s reputation on the world stage.