More stranded marine mammals than normal died during lockdown in the Philippines

The Philippines have been on lockdown since March this year. At the same time, 37 animals have been stranded on the islands’ beaches, with a record high of ten beached whales and dolphins in Ilocos, a small northern region, alone. Several of them could be rescued by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), either by refloating or by taking them to a nearby rehabilitation centre for treatment.

Nevertheless, ten animals did not survive. Many died after they had been admitted to rehabilitation centres. For most of the whales and dolphins, the causes of death are unclear. Some of the animals were already sick when they stranded, adding further to the threat of illegal fishing. The director of the University of the Philippines Institute of Environmental Sciences and Meteorology, head of the Marine Mammal Research and Stranding Laboratory, said that “we may think that the sea creatures are safer now because people are in their homes. But the threats to these animals are still there”.

The full report can be found here: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1294029/10-stranded-whales-dolphins-die-in-ilocos-during-lockdown

The Marine Mammal Research and Stranding Laboratory has been monitoring the increased number of dying stranded marine mammals during the Lockdown in the Philippines. Photo by the Marine Mammal Research and Stranding Laboratory