Myanmar’s Department of Fisheries has decided to add a new stretch of the Ayeyawady River to the Dolphin Protection Zone in response to several recent suspected killings of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins by fishermen.
The current zone, established in 2005, stretches for 45 miles from Mingun to Kyaukmyaung in Sagaing Region. An additional 73 miles from Htikyauk, Sagaing Region, to Shwegu, Kachin State, will now also be protected. The two zones are separated by a long stretch of unprotected river.
In December and January, at least two Irrawaddy dolphins washed ashore in Katha Township with wounds that are thought to have been inflicted by humans. Electrofishing, pollution, and boat propellers are among the most significant threats to the dying species.
The fisheries department is working with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Irrawaddy Dolphin Conservation Group to devise measures to protect the dolphins, including setting up ecotourism industries in villages along the river.
An estimated 65 dolphins remain in the original protection zone, down from 86 in 2012.
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