Conservationists halve area set aside for dolphin project
Source: Myanmar Times
Date: 4 April 2018
Photo: Google
The Ayeryarwady dolphin conservation team has reduced its planned conservation area for the endangered species due to a lack of human and financial resources, said U Han Win, chief of the Ayeyarwady dolphin conservation team of the Fisheries Department.
The team originally planned to open a 200-kilometre second conservation area that would extend from Htigyaing township in Sagaing Region to Shwegu township in Kachin State.
"We planned to cover the area from Ma Le' (in Htigyaing township) to Shwegu. However, we decided not to push through with it based on our personnel and funds," he said. The new conservation area only covers 100km.
"It is not easy to conserve 200km. It is a wide area. Therefore, we changed. We can easily conserve the existing area," U Han Win added.
There are 37 dolphins in the river between Ma Le' and Shwegu townships, according to a February survey. The procedures are now being carried out for the new conservation area, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The first Ayeyawady dolphin conservation area is from Nan Taw Kyun in Mandalay Region to Mingun village and near Yay Taw pagoda in Kyauk Myaung township of Sagaing. Twenty-six dolphins were counted in this conservation area by the survey.
