Cambodia to launch high-tech center to protect rare Mekong dolphins by year-end-Xinhua - 新华网

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is set to launch the Mekong Dolphin Monitoring, Surveillance and Conservation Center by the end of this year, aiming to safeguard the country's endangered freshwater dolphin population, according to a news release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on Thursday.

The new center is backed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund. According to the ministry, this partnership significantly advances fisheries conservation modernization, strengthens local law enforcement, and helps ensure the long-term survival of the Mekong River dolphin, a species celebrated as part of Cambodia's precious natural heritage.

Ahead of the official launch at the end of 2026, MAFF Undersecretary of State Im Rachna, who oversees fisheries conservation, led a delegation to inspect the new facility located at the Guard Station for the Kampi Dolphin Pool Conservation in northeastern Kratie province.

During the inspection, Rachna urged technical experts to expedite the installation of automated cameras and advanced monitoring systems, emphasizing the need for high quality and technical efficiency to maximize the center's management capacity.

The Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin has been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 2004. These rare aquatic mammals inhabit a 120-kilometer main channel of the Mekong River that stretches across the northeastern provinces of Kratie and Stung Treng.

Recent data from MAFF indicates that conservation efforts are yielding strong results. The total population of Mekong River dolphins in Cambodia now stands at nearly 120 individuals. ■