• Irrawaddy Dolphin

Irrawaddy Dolphin (Photo : Wikipedia)

Chinese action star Jackie Chan may have caused panic in London when a shooting for a movie he is making exploded a bus on Lambeth Bridge on Monday. Now, he is pushing for a more serene cause in Asia.

Chan has recently posted a 34-second video in the website of the Irrawaddy River Conservation Commission to call on Myanmar to save the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin and stop electrofishing, Asia News Network reported on Wednesday. The action star spoke in English which had English subtitles and Burmese characters as well.

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He appealed, “Please you must help me to stop electro-fishing, and you must all protect the Irrawaddy dolphin. Give the baby dolphin a chance to live like all the children of the world.”

Han Winn, director of the commission, disclosed that based on annual surveys done the last five years, the number of dolphins that live in the river between Bhamo and Mandalay is declining gradually. He said that near Bhamo, the number of dolphins declined to just eight from 15 to 16 in 2010. Similar trends were observed near Katha, Shwegu and Htigyang.

Winn added that electro-fishing has become more rampant and is now done all day, unlike in the past when it was surreptitiously done at night. He attributed the rampant practice to lack of effective actions against fishermen.

Meanwhile, the Long Yun Kung Fu dance troupe of Chan presented on Tuesday, Feb. 9, “11 Warriors,” a performance that combined ballet, martial arts and modern dance. The performance celebrated Chinese Lunar New Year at the Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago, reported Chicagoreader.