In January, Andy joined colleagues from around the world to address the plight of Irrawaddy River dolphins (Orcaella breviorstris) in the Mekong River during a workshop in Kratie, Cambodia. Only 85 animals remain in this critically endangered population, threatened by by-catch in gill nets and an unknown source of mortality to perinatal animals. The workshop lead to an agreement between the Cambodian government and WWF-Cambodia on a concrete series of management and research steps to conserve this iconic species. The species is an important source of revenue to local communities through ecotourism and has special cultural significance along the Mekong River. This critically endangered population is also the focus of an innovative partnership between WWF’s Sacred Earth program and Buddhist monks in Cambodia.
