File photo of a Mekong dolphin spotted northeast of Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. AFP.
Phnom Penh: Around 1,000 participants took part in the "Run for the Mekong River Dolphins" in northeastern Stung Treng province on Sunday, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
Tourism Minister Huot Hak highlighted that the 5 km race serves a larger purpose beyond health, describing it as a unified effort to boost tourism, protect nature, and conserve Cambodia's rare freshwater dolphins.
"The dolphin habitat is a valuable ecotourism zone and a critical sanctuary," he said at the event. "Visitors can take boat trips to view the dolphins, explore the unique flooded forests, and support local community-based tourism."
The event aims to attract both domestic and international travelers to Stung Treng, a rising ecotourism hub, he said, urging the public to visit the province, support local livelihoods, and protect the species.
The Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin has been classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 2004.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries estimates that only 117 dolphins remain. They live along a 120 km stretch of the Mekong River spanning Kratie and Stung Treng provinces.
