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| IT FILE PHOTO |
By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
Badoc,
Ilocos Norte—At least two young adult
spinner dolphins beached themselves at Brgy. Saud; one of them however died
shortly when rescued by local authorities.
Record shows that this is now
the fourth time dolphins were stranded in Badoc, or the seventh in the entire
province of Ilocos Norte since January.
The stranded dolphins were
found in the coastal barangays of Virgen Milagrosa, Gabut, Puro and Saud—all in
Badoc town while two more were found in neighboring Currimao town and in
Pagudpud, the northernmost part of Ilocos Norte province.
Earlier, a butchered whale
was dumped at Brgy. Maglaoi Sur in neighboring Currimao town, near a clump of
exposed coral reefs.
According to Arthur Valente,
fishery regulatory coordinator of the Provincial Agriculture Office, he said a barangay
councilor identified as Rogelio Tacderan was walking along the coastline of
Saud when he spotted the dolphins in distressed at around 5a.m. today.
The dolphins, both males
measuring 1.16 meters and 1.68 meters, weighing about 70 kilograms and 100
kilograms run aground on the shallow sands of Saud beach, just a kilometer away
from a 50-hectare fish sanctuary, the Coastal Resource Management and Fish
Regulatory Services of the Provincial Agriculture Office initiated in 2005.
The fish sanctuary, declared
as a protected area is meant to preserve and rehabilitate the coastal
areas and resources.
According to Mr. Valente,
serious efforts to stop illegal fishing such as the use of fine mesh nets,
blast fishing, cyanide fishing, electro fishing, fishing with active gear,
fishing in off season and fishing within the fish sanctuary remain a big
challenge to concerned local authorities here.
In just a span of three hours
between 5 am to 8 am on the day he visited the area, Mr. Valente said they
heard at least nine blasts, which may have disoriented the stranded dolphins,
losing their navigational senses.
The smaller dolphin was being
monitored by Saud barangay officials and volunteers of the Philippine Marine
Mammal Stranding Network-Ilocos Norte chapter while taking samples of his blood
for further examination.
“He looks fine. Maybe, we can
release him anytime today after taking blood samples for further study,” Mr. Valente
said.
The bigger dolphin which died
shortly after found by local residents was buried.
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