Sea creatures find final resting place in Dagupan

DAGUPAN CITY – Candles will be lit and flowers offered this weekend for dead sea creatures buried at the country’s only Fish Cemetery in Barangay Bonuan Binloc here.

In fact, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) office here has cleaned and refurbished the 1,000-square meter cemetery in time for the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days this weekend.

Dr. Westly Rosario, BFAR center chief and interim executive director of the National Fish Research Development Institute, told The STAR yesterday that dead marine creatures buried in the cemetery include seven long-snout spinner dolphins, two whales, one Risso’s dolphin, and a giant sea turtle.

BFAR personnel also constructed a lagoon beside the Fish Cemetery.

The English or common names, scientific names, estimated weight, and date of burial of the dead marine creatures were engraved on their markers. Photographs of the marine species will soon be displayed beside the tombs.

The creatures were found beached or were stranded at the Lingayen Gulf and most of the creatures died while being treated for injuries.

The unusual cemetery has increased the awareness about wildlife conservation among the people.

The BFAR established the Fish Cemetery nine years to accommodate dolphins, giant sea turtles and other endangered species that were stranded and died in nearby shorelines.

Local fishermen and residents previously butchered the stranded marine mammals but the illegal practice was stopped.

Rosario came up with the idea of setting up a fish cemetery when a 1.2-ton whale died off Malabon and the giant mammal was seized by BFAR personnel in February 1999.

BFAR had no burial ground then for marine creatures and the bureau officials decided to bring the dead whale to Dagupan for burial.