BFAR to hold seminars on marine mammals
Vicente Labro, Philippines Inquirer Visayas 10 Jun 09;
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—With the stranding incidents involving marine mammals occurring in Eastern Visayas, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here said it will strengthen its network that addresses this concern.
BFAR regional director Juan Albaladejo III Tuesday said they would hold a series of training on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of marine mammals, particularly dolphins this June in the provinces of Leyte and Eastern Samar.
Albaladejo disclosed that the chief of the Guiuan Marine Fisheries Development Center in Guiuan, Eastern Samar reported the latest stranding incident last month involving a pregnant dolphin.
Last June 1, GMFDC station superintendent Nonita Cabacaba informed Albaladejo that fishermen encountered some 50 dolphins while fishing in the sea off Guiuan, located 155 kilometers from Tacloban City on May 21.
The fishermen turned over to the GMFDC personnel a pregnant dolphin that got entangled in the fishing net, Cabacaba said in her report to Albaladejo.
The dolphin, which had some bruises and was suffering from stress, died three days later while about to deliver its calf, she added.
The mother dolphin was 209 centimeters long while the calf was 106 centimeters long. Their carcasses were buried in a fish cemetery at the GMFDC, Cabacaba said.
He said people have started reporting stranding incidents—such as that of the stranded 15-foot whale shark reported to the BFAR Leyte provincial office—even if these did not involve marine mammals.
BFAR-Leyte provincial director Anselmo Riel on Monday said the beached whale shark was found dead by locals in Barangay Luyo, Leyte town, Leyte province in the first week of May.
Riel said the large fish had several hack wounds, which could have been caused by fishermen who were trying to free the whale shark from their net where it probably got entangled.
Albaladejo said that many local fishermen were aware of the need to protect the dolphins and other marine mammals, which play an important role in the marine ecosystem.
However, he said the fishermen have to undergo training on what to do to avoid dolphins being entangled in their nets and how to free them from entanglement without harming the sea creatures.
Albaladejo said that the BFAR provincial office in Leyte has scheduled the training on June 17-18 for more than a hundred municipal agricultural officers, members of fishery law enforcement teams and government and private veterinarians, among others.
Another 200 fishing boat operators and other concerned groups would be attending similar training sessions scheduled late this month in Eastern Samar, particularly in the towns of Borongan, Guiuan and Oras.
"After this, we will also be having trainings in Northern Samar and Southern Leyte," he said.
