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编辑者： Svitlana Velhush
Cambodia's Irrawaddy Dolphin population is staging a comeback in the Mekong River, with calf numbers increasing for the first time in years, following strict gill net bans and enforced local protection.
今年，在湄公河柬埔寨段确认有六只伊洛瓦底江豚幼崽诞生。这使当地种群数量的估计值升至118头。这一情况发生在桔井省和上丁省境内长达120公里的河段上。
伊洛瓦底江豚（Orcaella brevirostris）是这片水域中唯一的鲸类动物。在柬埔寨和老挝，它们被视为神圣的动物，象征着河流之灵。对于沿岸社区而言，它们还带来生态旅游收入，尤其是在桔井省甘比深水潭等地。
湄公河柬埔寨段的种群数量明显低于1990年代末的估计值，当时这里栖息着约200头。主要威胁是刺网缠绕——这对幼崽尤其危险——非法电捕以及栖息地退化。流域内超过160座水坝正在改变水文状况和鱼类群落构成，而江豚正依赖于这些鱼类。
自2012年起，在这段长180公里的河段上设立了保护区，禁止使用刺网。电捕在全国范围内被正式禁止。联合巡逻、监测以及与当地居民的协作，似乎促成了近年来江豚死亡事件的消失以及新幼崽的诞生。
当局和自然保护组织的代表指出，六只幼崽的诞生是一个令人鼓舞的信号。然而，种群仍然脆弱，如果不进一步减少威胁，恢复可能难以稳固。
保护这些动物需要持续关注非法捕捞以及基础设施项目对河流的影响。
Six new calves offer hope amid ongoing threats to Cambodia’s Irrawaddy dolphins
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