Cambodia calls for dolphin protection

KRATIE Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism calls on residents and related government authorities to protect dolphins for the sake of the environment and also for their positive contribution to the travel experience.

Agence Kampuchea Press quoted Tourism Minister Thong Khon saying local people and government officials should to lead campaigns to preserve and protect dolphins.

“No Dolphin, No Tourists,” the minister commented after a female dolphin and its baby were found dead in Kratie province late last month.

He noted: “Dolphins are considered a priceless natural heritage for Cambodia and the world. They are an important tourist attraction for Kratie and Stung Treng provinces and their loss will damage the region’s ability to grow a sustainable tourism experience.”

There are only 80 to 90 adult dolphins and 15 to 20 baby dolphins in the Mekong areas in Cambodia, the report said.

Freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins exist in only three river systems in Southeast Asia, with Cambodia hosting the largest population in the entire length of the Mekong River.

Kratie is a province in Cambodia located in the northeast region. The Mekong River flows from the north to the south, through Kratie province, for a distance of approximately 140 km.

The province is best known for its attractive riverside scenery and its green villages and paddies, and its river dolphins.

The Cambodian government in 2012 approved a dolphin protection zone on a 180-kilometre-long (110 mile) stretch of the river from eastern Kratie to the border with Laos.