Cambodia to Set Up Marine Dolphin Sanctuary

Cambodia to Set Up Marine Dolphin Sanctuary

The Ministry of Agriculture is establishing the Marine Dolphins Safety Sanctuary in the waters of Kep, Preah Sihanouk and Koh Kong provinces to preserve marine dolphins living around islands off the coast of Cambodia.

Department of Fisheries Conservation director Ouk Vibol said on Monday that the Marine Dolphins Safety Sanctuary is about 8,000 hectares located around Koh Ach Ses in Kep province; Koh Rong, Koh Tang and Koh Pulawai in Preah Sihanouk province; and Peam Krasaop in Koh Kong province.

Vibol said that according to the ministry’s plan, the establishment of the Marine Dolphins Safety Sanctuary in the coastal provinces will be launched at the end of this year.

“So far, our ministry’s fisheries conservation experts had already studied this project and also visited those islands. They saw there are many marine dolphins living in those areas,” Vibol told Khmer Times.

“Currently, we found that there are between 30 to 50 marine dolphins at each island. They always appear during menstruation and when they give birth,” he said.

“The main purpose of the ministry’s project is to preserve marine dolphins and provide them safe places in the sea in Cambodia,” he said. “It is also to attract both local and foreign tourists.”

Vibol said that marine dolphins are different from the freshwater dolphins because they are always moving from one place to another so it is difficult to determine their location for conservation.

He said that the freshwater dolphins are always living in deep pools along the Mekong River which is easier to control and preserve.

“Currently, to preserve those marine dolphins living in the sea off the coast of Cambodia, our provincial fisheries conservation officers always educate the people living nearby those areas, especially fishermen, to not catch, touch or disturb them,” he said.

“Besides that, officers always trace or follow their movements,” he added.

He said that currently, there are about 90 freshwater breeding-age dolphins and another 30 young dolphins living in the Mekong River in Cambodia.