Phnom Penh, Aug 17 (IANS): A rare Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin had been found dead after being entangled in a fisherman's illegal gillnet in northeast Cambodia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in a news release on Saturday.

The 2.1-meter-long female dolphin, weighing 108 kg, was spotted dead on Friday near the Kampi dolphin pool in Preaek Prasab district of Kratie province. The animal is aged between eight and 10 years old, reports Xinhua news agency, citing the news release.

"The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries considers the death of this juvenile dolphin as the loss of a precious natural treasure of Cambodia and the world," the news release said.

"The ministry calls on fishermen to immediately stop using gillnets and electro-fishing in the dolphin-protected area," it added.

The ministry also encourages people to report to local authorities if they see any fishermen using these illegal fishing gear in the dolphin conservation zone.

Since the start of this year, the Southeast Asian country has recorded three dolphin deaths and eight dolphin newborns.

The Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 2004.

It is estimated that there are approximately 105 Irrawaddy dolphin populations living along a 180-km main channel of the Mekong River in northeast Stung Treng and Kratie provinces.