Xinhua Net –
A rare Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin has been found dead after being entangled in fishermen’s illegal gillnets in northeast Cambodia’s Kratie province, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Cambodia said in a statement.
The 198-cm-long male dolphin, weighed 104 kg, aged between 15-18 years old, the statement said.
“The carcass has been collected and stored in a fridge at WWF Office in the province for necropsy purpose,” it said on Monday. “The joint research team of Fisheries Administration and WWF primarily assessed that the cause of the death is gillnets since there are some gillnet marks on its tail.”
According to the statement, this was the fifth dolphins found dead (2 calves, 3 adults) from January 2019 up to now, and totally 9 babies were born during the same period.
“Illegal fishing nets in the conservation zones are the main cause of Mekong dolphin’s death,” it said. “We are urging people not to do any illegal fishing activities in the conservation zones to protect this national living treasure for our country and next generations.”
A recent joint study by the Fisheries Administration and WWF-Cambodia found that the Irrawaddy dolphin population in Cambodia has increased from 80 to 92 over the past two years.