The Cambodian government on Monday issued a sub-decree on the “Demarcation of the Mekong River Dolphin Management Area” to define a Mekong River Dolphin Management Area to protect and conserve dolphins in Stung Treng and Kratie provinces.

The sub decree comes after the deaths of dolphins in Kratie province last year when some of them were caught in a longline fishing hook, indicating an increasingly alarming situation and the need for intensive law enforcement to be urgently conducted in the dolphin habitats.

Eleven dolphins died in 2022 (as of December 24), bringing the total number of dead dolphins to 29 in the last three years, according to WWF Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has also urged stakeholders to create conservation areas in Kratie and Stung Treng to protect the remaining Mekong dolphin population in early January 2023.

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The sub decree said that the Mekong River Dolphin Management Area aims to create better conservation and protect the dolphins, which is considered to be a sacred natural treasure, to effectively participate in the development of ecotourism, improve the economy, society and livelihood of the people, and maintain the balance of the natural environment.

This will aid the growth of biodiversity and sustain the life of dolphins, according to the sub decree.

The Mekong Dolphin Management Area is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which will collaborate with other relevant ministries, institutions and sub-national administrations, the sub-degree stated.

The Mekong River Dolphin Management Area is 120 kilometers long, of which the area in Stung Treng is 35 kilometers long and Kratie is 85 kilometers long. This extends from the lower part of the Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge Stung Treng in Stung Treng Province to the head of Koh Trong Island in Kratie Province, covering a total area of 621 square kilometers. It is designated as a conservation area, with a size of 216.4 square kilometers.

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It is a 404.6 square kilometers of protected area based on scientific data related to dolphin habitat, migration, foraging and reproduction, the sub decree said.

The Mekong Dolphin Management Area is divided into two main areas: Dolphin Sanctuary and Dolphin Protection areas.

The dolphin conservation area has been divided into three main areas: Koh Santak Conservation Area, Koh Kon Sat and Tbong Khla, with a total size of 138 square kilometers. A sand and gravel conservation area spans 55.5 square kilometers and the Kampi Conservation Area has a total size of 22.4 square kilometers.

WWF said the zoning plan with clear boundary demarcation in dolphins' habitat zones enhances effective law enforcement and patrols along the Mekong.

“WWF applauds the Royal Government of Cambodia for the adoption of a new sub-decree on the establishment and management of the Mekong dolphins conservation zones in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces,” WWF posted on Twitter.

Adding that as a key strategic partner of FiA of MAFF, WWF works closely with the government to protect the dolphins and enhance local livelihoods.

(meas.molika@kiripost.com)