Officials at the Kampi Irrawaddy dolphin conservation area in Kratie province are reporting that a decline in illegal fishing activities has resulted in an increase in the dolphin population, with new births and no deaths recorded this year.
Mok Ponlok, Kratie provincial director of the Fisheries Administration (FiA), shared the welcome news during a May 28 meeting with river guards. The meeting was led by Im Rachna, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The agriculture ministry reported that over the first five months of 2025, enforcement actions in the Kampi area resulted in the seizure of three motorboats, 30 illegal electro-shock fishing devices, two car batteries connected to 50 meters of electrical wire and 136 illegal gillnets.
In addition, 17 summonses were issued to individuals caught electrofishing, and 31 fishermen received education about the law.
The protected dolphin conservation zone spans 85 kilometres of the Mekong River, with 44 river guards engaged in protecting biodiversity and conserving dolphins. Their work is supported by the government through the ministry’s FiA, local authorities and WWF-Cambodia.
Ponlok, who also leads the Mekong dolphin conservation team in Kratie, emphasised the collective commitment of all stakeholders to protect fisheries resources and biodiversity — especially the Irrawaddy dolphin, which is considered a national treasure.
He stressed the need to maximise efforts to eliminate illegal fishing to ensure the long-term survival of the Mekong dolphins for future generations.
Late last week, the ministry announced the sighting of a newborn dolphin calf in the Kampi pool, located in Chroy Banteay village and commune, in Prek Prasab district. The latest birth brings the Kingdom’s Mekong Dolphin population to 111.
As of May 25, 2025, Cambodia has seen the birth of seven dolphin calves — five in Kratie and two in Stung Treng — with no reported deaths so far this year.
There are a total of 72 river guards working on dolphin conservation efforts across Kratie and Stung Treng. are involved in dolphin conservation efforts. In February this year however, three guards in Kratie were regrettably dismissed after being found complicit in allowing illegal fishing in the conservation zone.
The ministry explained that Rachna’s meeting with the river guards aimed to strengthen and improve conservation efforts in the Kampi area.
During the discussions, the guards were given the opportunity to raise challenges they face in their work so that they could be jointly addressed.
The ministry encouraged them to perform their duties with integrity and strong commitment, noting that this is essential to both the effectiveness and impact of their conservation work.
