INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

Conservation Status of Dolphin Species of Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary (PKWS),

Southwestern Cambodia

9th Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation

Asia-Pacific Chapter 30 March – 2 April, 2015

Himawari Hotel Apartments, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Brian D. Smith, Sun Kong, Lieng Saroeun and Lou Vanny

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

Presentation Outline

- General information on PKWS

- Snapshot of PKWS-dependent local livelihoods

- Survey on dolphin species in coastal areas

- Dolphins and whales found in Cambodian-Thai coastline

- Snapshot of dolphins in PKWS and adjacent areas

-Conservation status

- Results of IUCN survey

- Threats, disturbances and challenges

- Recommendations

- Actions/approaches

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General information on PKWS

•  Among the most significant protected areas in Cambodia;

•  Covers 3 districts, 6 communes, 13 villages (around 10,000 inhabitants);

•  First zoning in PA

•  Covers 25,897 hectares;

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General information on PKWS

•  Provides many subsistence and livelihood services •  Contains a variety of natural features; including marine mammals:

Dolphins

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PKWS-dependent local livelihoods

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Survey on dolphin species in coastal areas

•  Report on dolphin in Cambodian waters found dolphin 9 species,

•  Beasley and Davidson (2007) found 8 species along Cambodia-Thailand; •  A little studied on dolphin in PKWS;

•  Preparing management plan to protect dolphin species;

•  Recent surveys by Smith, Kong and Saroeun (2014) found three different species of dolphin

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Dolphins and whales found in Cambodian-Thai coastline

 Common  name  

 Scien+fic  name  

Thai   Cambodia  

DMCR   Isabel   SEAFDEC   IUCN/  KK  

Bryde’s  wahle   Baleanoptera  edeni   *  

False  Killer  Whale   Pseudorca  crassidens   *   *   *  

Bo9lenose  Dolphin    Tursiops  truncatus\aduncus  

*   *  

�  Common  dolphin      Delphinus  delphis   *  

Dwarf  Spinner  Dolphin        Stenella  longirostris     *   *  

Finless  Porpoise        Neophocaena    phocaenoides  

*   *   *  

Indo-­‐Pacific  Humpback  Dolphin      Sousa  chinensis   *   *   *   *  

Irrawaddy  Dolphin        Orcaella  brevirostris   *   *   *   *  

Long-­‐beaked  Common  Dolphin      Delphinus  capensis   *  

Pantropical  Spo9ed  Dolphin        Stenella  a9enuata   *   *  

Short  finned  pilot  whale      Globicepahla  melas   *  

Total   4   8   9   3  

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Snapshot of biodiversity in PKWS and adjacent areas

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Conservation status

•  Dolphin species are present in PKWS •  Protected by Fisheries Law and relevant regulations

•  Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species •  Population trend: decreasing

•  Agencies responsible for dolphin protection in PKWS: MoE, FiA and local communities and authorities

©Yangtze

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Results of IUCN survey Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) Status: IUCN classify as Vulnerable (VU), CITES Appendix I Population trends: decreasing

Indo-Pacific Hump-backed dolphin (Sousa chinensis), Status: IUCN classify as Near-Threatened (NT), CITES Appendix I Population trends: decreasing Finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) Status: IUCN classify as Vulnerable (VU), CITES Appendix I Population trends: decreasing

©Yangtze

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Results of IUCN survey

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Results of IUCN survey

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Threats, disturbances and challenges

1). Fisheries and the potential for fatal entanglement of dolphins and porpoises: 2). Habitat disturbance: Sand mining 3). Habitat degradation and pollution 4). Lack of knowledge to assist stranded Dolphin 5). Climate Change

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Recommendations

Recommendations: •  Dolphin Management Areas should be established in priority habitat;

•  Enforcement is needed to ensure compliance;

•  Sand mining should be eliminated or reduced;

•  Outreach/education program should be employed;

•  Research/Monitoring should be conducted.

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Actions/Approaches

On-going actions: •  Integrating Dolphin management plan into PKWS Management Plan

•  On-going 18-month Dolphin Conservation Project: Cambodian-Thai trans- boundary project, involving stakeholders and all levels of community in project implementation •  Taking bottom-up approach taken to ensure long-term survival

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Thank  you!  The  healthy  ecosystem,  the  healthy  livelihoods