Marine protected areas for whales, dolphins, and porpoises: a world ...

Habitat Protection for Cetaceans around the World 325
Notes and rationale For more information
• Rationale is to protect large whales from commercial whaling and • See full account in Marine
to stimulate cetacean research and conservation.
• At the 1979 IWC meeting, the Republic of Seychelles proposed that
the Indian Ocean be closed to commercial whaling and declared a
sanctuary. With the support of most Indian Ocean states and the
world, it was voted in as a whale sanctuary.
Region 10, Table 5.13.
• The rationale for this proposed park and sanctuary for biodiversity, • Jaaman, in prep
including cetaceans, is to create an international peace park with • Contact: Saifullah A
valuable environmental protection for marine- and island-based Jaaman, UMS, Marine
ecosystems and species. Mammals and Whale Shark
• The Spratly Islands are currently one of the most hotly disputed island Research and Conservation
groups in the world, with conflicting claims (for all or part of the Programme, Borneo
islands and surrounding waters) by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Marine Research Institute,
the Philippines and Malaysia. Universiti Malaysia,
• Conflicts include legal question of ownership, fishing, oil and Sabah, Malaysia;
mineral resources. email: saiful@ums.edu.my;
s.jaaman@abdn.ac.uk
• The Irrawaddy dolphin was part of the rationale for protection, but • Baird and Mounsouphom,
the high biodiversity of freshwater fish and breeding birds makes 1994, 1995; Baird et al,
this an important Ramsar site. 1994; Roberts, 1993;
• In 1994, the Asian Wetland Bureau (AWB) in Kuala Lumpur studied Stacey, 1996; Baird and
the Mekong River in Stung Treng province. In late 1995, David Ashwell Beasley, in prep
from IUCN, working with the Ministry of Environment in Cambodia, • Contact: Isabel Beasley,
looked at possible Ramsar sites, including this site. The Ramsar Mekong Dolphin
designation facilitates protection for fish and breeding birds but Conservation Project,
excludes key dry season dolphin habitat, including critical habitat PO Box 9123, Kratie,
a few miles north along the Lao border. Cetaceans are not the goal Cambodia;
of wetlands habitat protection, but the Irrawaddy dolphin could email:
benefit if the site were extended north to the Lao border. This psout@everyday.com.kh
Ramsar site could then become a transborder park if paired with • David Ashwell, IUCN,
Lao PDR sites. 22, 222 St, Phnom Penh,
• Since 2001 the Mekong Dolphin Conservation Project has focused Cambodia
on studies of abundance, distribution, movements and mortality
rates, in addition to working on conservation and management
activities. The project plans to raise awareness with local
communities about the dolphins and fisheries to improve the
conservation.