The mirror surface of Anlung Cheutal pool is disturbed in the yellow morning light. A blunt snout of the Irrawaddy dolphin breaks the surface in a round of ripples. A boat guide points and tells his guests, "There, over there, a dolphin!" Soon more eddies appear as some of the eighty-five remaining dolphins begin their morning activites of feeding and socializing. Anlung Cheutal is a remote stretch of the mighty Mekong River at the border of Cambodia and Laos, yet thousands of tourists come each year to see Orcaella brevirostris, bringing much needed income to supplement fishing. One of seven species of river-dwelling dolphins, "Lăbaing", as it is named in Burmese, is declining in numbers due to human development and exploitation.Gill nets used by fishermen to capture tiny edible fish are most to blame for the decline of this highly intelligent and sociable creature say experts. Dolphins use their echo-location sense to detect struggling fish in the murky water, but the fine synthetic nets are invisible to them. They become entangled while hunting and drown. A disrespectful end for a mammal that can cooperate with man in hunting the same prey. In Myanmar, fishermen persuade, not train, wild dolphins to help them catch fish. If the intelligent mammals decides to help out, they respond to sound cues made by the men. Taking time out from their own business they herd fish by swiming in semi-circles. When an acceptable amount (the dolphins decide the catch size) has been cornered, they issue a tail wave the men in boats to throw out their nets. When the nets are thrown the dolphins move out quickly to avoid entanglement, and to scoop up fleeing fish. Cooperation can triple the size of a catch. River dolphins are more wary of helping fishermen now because many have been injured or killed by electric shocks used to kill fish. Electro-fishing is illegal, but still used by some greedy humans. The criminals threaten traditional fishermen who are afraid to inform on them. The shockers operate under the cover of darkness and flee in high-powered boats when detected.
Unsustainable fishing is not the only threat to river dolphins. The Mekong river basin sustains 60 million people. A growing human population and its industries demand electical power. The demand expected to grow by 6-7% a year. Hydropower in a largely untapped river basin is an expedient answer. The Don Sahong Dam in southern Laos is a proposal that would inundate the Anlung Cheutal dolphin. Earth moving explosions will certainly kill or blind them. According to one knowledgeble observer in the area, 34% of the dolpins current remaining range would be eliminated. Informed locals refer to the dam project in one word, "disaster". For the Mekong is their mother. She provides the fish and the rich soils for growing rice. The Irrawady dolphins bring the tourists and their money. All of that will be wiped out by the dam. There are other ways to bring electricity to a region that is still off the grid--enough power to run small industry, light homes, and still allow dolphins to live in the river pool. Join US Person in supporting WWF's ten year moratorium on dam building in the lower Mekong basin until better solutions are put forward because an enitre sustainable way of life is at stake.