Personnel from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources examine a dead spinner dolphin that was washed ashore in barangay Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City. (CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)
A spinner dolphin was found dead on the shore of barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City Monday morning.
Local fishermen found the sea animal bleeding and lifeless.
They immediately contacted Task Force Kalikasan to examine the dolphin which weighed about 40 kilos and reached five feet.
It was brought to Lapu-Lapu City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC) office.
City Coastal Law Enforcement Officer Andy Berame said he suspected that the dolphin had suffered internal bleeding.
“I think the dolphin was hit by fishermen using dynamite,” he said.
He observed that its head was badly injured which may have affected the dolphin’s ability to navigate, leading it to land on the shore.
Berame also noted wounds on the dolphin’s tail and stomach, possibly a result of being slammed on the rocky shore.
Dynamite fishing still occurs in Lapu-Lapu City, which Task Force Kalikasan constantly monitors in order to apprehend the illegal fishers, said Berame.
READ: Fishermen find dead dolphin off Lapu-Lapu City
Most of the dynamite fishers operate in the seas between Bohol island and Lapu-Lapu City.
He said that a necropsy will be conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to determine the cause of death.
Last month, a dolphin was also found dead on the shores of barangay San Vicente in Lapu-Lapu City. It had similar injuries caused by dynamite fishing.
READ: Wounded dolphin rescued
“We will make sure that the laws against illegal fishing are implemented in Lapu-Lapu City, especially that the sea is our city’s main tourist attraction,” Berame said.
Lapu-Lapu City is known for its resorts, beaches and tourist attractions. Fishing is also a livelihood for many coastal villages.