Blast fishing blamed for mass stranding in Camarines Sur

The 25 stranded Fraser’s dolphins were found by fishers on the shores of Del Gallego in the Philippines early Tuesday morning. With ten already dead, local responders were able to rescue and release the rest back into the deeper waters of the Ragay Gulf. Sadly, three more died in the process.

In a necropsy on the dead animals, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) identified “haemorrhages in almost entire body and blood oozing from the mouth, eyes and ears.” The cause is likely shock waves emitted by blast fishing. The shock waves might have caused the mammals’ lungs to collapse and drove them to seek refuge in the shallow water. By also disturbing the dolphins’ balance and coordination, the stranding would not be surprising.

A necropsy revealed that the stranded dolphins likely suffered trauma from blast fishing shock waves

Though blast fishing is illegal in the area, Camarines Sur is a hotspot for the fishing method. The last years have seen an increased frequency of similar stranding events with the same symptoms and likely the same cause, one of which we have covered here.

The full article can be found here: Blast fishing blamed for dolphin deaths in Camarines Sur | Inquirer News