Wounded dolphin dies

DAGUPAN CITY — A three-meter long dolphin with a gunshot wound to his head died yesterday after getting stranded on a beach in San Fabian town in Pangasinan despite efforts to save the mammal, officials said.

The dolphin was caught by fishermen who tried to drag it back to the open sea, but it came back to the mouth of the Cayanga River near San Fabian, said Westley Rosario, head of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) center.

Authorities then put the dolphin inside a four-feet deep-water tank to try to heal its wounds but the mammal died.

Representatives from Ocean Adventure immediately contacted Rosario after learning about the dolphin and shared some tips on how to save it.

However, the mammal was very weak and died at around 5:40 a.m., according to Rosario.

He said the sea creature’s condition might have been aggravated during its transport from San Fabian to the BFAR center here. The dolphin also has an old gunshot wound in its jaw.

It was buried at the Fish Cemetery inside the BFAR compound here before noon yesterday. It is the 11th dolphin to be buried at the cemetery, which is the final resting place of 10 other dolphins, a dwarf sperm whale, a giant sea turtle and a whale named Moby Dick.

TLC for dolphins

In the wake of this incident, the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) under the Department of Agriculture will embark on an extension mission to educate people about the basics of giving tender loving care (TLC) for dolphins, sea turtles and other friendly big sea creatures that will beach along Lingayen Gulf.

It was noted that more than a dozen dolphins, whales, sea turtles that ran ashore along the coastal towns of Pangasinan and were turned over to the BFAR here since 2000, have died due to improper handling and first aid measures.

Rosario, who is also the NFRDI executive director, said that over the years, people have become aware of the importance of saving these sea creatures. They are now turning these sea creatures to authorities when they see them ashore.

Rosario said the planned education and awareness campaign may be conducted in collaboration with Ocean Adventure.

It will be a two-part activity, the first of which will be held in San Fabian as one of the highlights of the Fish Conservation Week on Oct. 15 to 20. The second part will be an advanced course to be held two weeks later.

The campaign also aims to form a core group that will constitute the quick response team with representatives from various coastal towns.

Rosario said he is happy that most fishermen are already aware of the need to preserve endangered species.

Recently, San Fabian has also turned over three turtles. Some have also rescued three spinner dolphins, which were later released to the sea. — With AP, Cesar Ramirez