LAOAG CITY — A group of Ilocos fishermen rescued a stranded male pantropical spotted dolphin near the Badoc shoreline on Wednesday morning but efforts to bring the aquatic mammal back to the wild failed following its death on Friday.
Arthur Valente, Fisheries Regulatory Coordinator of the Provincial Agriculture Office, confirmed that the dolphin died despite the efforts of several trained responders in the coastal village of Saud, Badoc, Ilocos Norte to rehabilitate the animal.
Valente said the dolphin, which measured 1.96-meters and weighed about 90 kg., was stranded due to acoustic trauma.
Sherman Valdez, president of the Saud-Paratong Fishermen’s Association said beached dolphins in their area are no longer new to them that when they spotted the dolphin, the village officials immediately called his attention and other concerned authorities for the proper rehabilitation of the stranded animal. Unfortunately, it did not survive.
Record shows this is the first stranding case they have attended so far this year.
Valente said marine animals get stranded when they flee fishermen hunting them or get sick as a result of polluted environment. They also get stranded when they try to flee bad weather, and dynamite fishing, or get lost in their search for food.
In the past, Valente said cases of stranding were unreported because locals were unaware of the endangered species. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
