25 Fraser dolphins stranded in Camarines Sur town shores; 10 found dead

LEGAZPI CITY –– Some 25 Fraser dolphins, 10 of them already dead, were stranded on Tuesday morning at the shores of Del Gallego town in Camarines Sur province.

Nonie Enolva, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Bicol spokesperson, said villagers found the dolphins at the shorelines of Barangay Magais 1, around 4 a.m.

Local responders rescued eight of the dolphins and released seven others back to the waters of Ragay Gulf.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Enolva said the stranded dolphins were probably victims of blast fishing at the Ragay Gulf, where the mammals suffered trauma and sought refuge in nearby shores.

The dolphin, similar to other sea mammals, usually stays in deep waters for about 15 to 20 minutes and goes to the surface to breathe.

But when they are disturbed, these mammals look for a sanctuary, where they can be relieved of the shock by putting up their heads and laying on the surface to breathe.

Ragay Gulf is considered a “hot spot” for blast fishing.

Records of the Philippine Marine Stranding Network say that Bicol had a high incidence of mass stranding due to illegal fishing practices (blast fishing) for the past three years, making the region a “hot spot” for stranding dolphins.

LZB