Mekong Dolphins 'almost Extinct'

[jackdanielsesq]

This is not good - normally a pretty good precursor of how bad the water quality and the land based community

really are - probably all effluent runoff. Hope something is done about it - they are highly intelligent and prized mammals.

BR>Jack

Pollution in the Mekong river has pushed freshwater dolphins in Cambodia and Laos to the brink of extinction, the conservation group WWF has said. Only 64 to 76 Irrawaddy dolphins remain in the Mekong, it says, and calls for a cross-border plan to help the dolphins. Toxic levels of pesticides, mercury and other pollutants have been found in more than 50 calves that have died since 2003. The Mekong flows from China through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. "These pollutants are widely distributed in the environment and so the source of this pollution may involve several countries through which the Mekong river flows," said WWF veterinary surgeon Verne Dove in a press statement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8106323.stm

[tommybkk]

Sad to read.

[Lickey]

I agree JD,its the overuse and abuse of herbicides,insectecides & fertilizer that has caused this, i love a good fish meal,but really, what am i eating? is it a fish full of chemicals? its another reason i never buy from roadside vendors with there traffic seasoned food,

Readers should enter Dead Sea Areas in a search box, They might be suprised at what they see!

[timinchina]

I heard they're very good with chips though...

[Texpat]

Doubt anything will be done Jack.

On the bright side though, there's a new species of three-eyed, two tailed snakehead fish that aren't bad.

[jackdanielsesq]

Tex - saw enough of them off California coast a while back, they were dumping 44gal drums of PCB in the ocean.

About the only thing that was safe was sockeye from Canada - until the Valdez - that is

BR>Jack

PS Maybe we can all switch to crack/coke/smack/horse - but only if they 'store' it someplace else.

On the bright side though, there's a new species of three-eyed, two tailed snakehead fish that aren't bad.

[garyh]

I heard they're very good with chips though...

And no doubt you would make very nice long pig.

[jetjock]

Very sad to hear about their possible extinction although I up until your post, I wasn't even aware that there were fresh water dophins in the Mekong. I plan to be cremated and have my ashes scattered in the Mekong (hopefully not for 30 or 40 more years) as I'm only 67. Now that I know that there are dolphins in the river, I hope they will stay around long enough for my dust to keep them company.