Deaths Push Rare Asia Dolphins Nearer Extinction

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Deaths Push Rare Asia Dolphins Nearer Extinction

 

February 06, 2006 — By Reuters

JOHANNESBURG — Ten dead Irrawaddy dolphins have been found in Cambodia's

Mekong river, eight of them calves, pushing one of the rarest cetaceans nearer

extinction, the environmental group WWF International said on Friday.

 

The deaths mean a 10 percent drop in the number of Irrawaddy dolphins living in

the Mekong, previously thought to be between 80 and 100. They are restricted to

a 190km (115 mile) stretch of the river in the Cambodia/Laos border area. There

are believed to be about 1,000 of the dolphins worldwide, other groups being

found in Thai coastal estuaries and a few other freshwater locations in Asia.

" This is terrible news, making a serious situation even more critical, " said

Robert Mather, Senior Conservation Policy Manager of WWF's Greater Mekong

Programme.

 

" This time of year commonly sees a peak in dolphin deaths, but 10 in the last

two months is particularly high and ... none have been reported since May 2005, "

he said.

 

The WWF said that at least one of the dolphins drowned after becoming entangled

in fishing gillnets, the biggest threat to the Mekong population.

 

But other factors such as pollution may be responsible as eight of the 10 dead

dolphins were calves, it said.

 

" This trend (calves dying) has been seen for a number of years and is suspected

to be due to some form of environmental pollution. However, ongoing tissue

samples and chemical analysis have yet to reveal the cause, " the WWF said.

 

Source: Reuters

 

 

 

 

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