Dolphin dies after being rescued from Zambales beach

ATTEMPT TO SAVE Fishermen carry the wounded dolphin they rescued off the shore of Barangay San Isidro in Cabangan, Zambales, on Wednesday, but it died a day later. —CABANGAN MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES OFFICE

SAN ANTONIO, ZAMBALES—A 2-meter-long dolphin died a day after it was rescued in the waters off Cabangan town in this province, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Menro) confirmed on Friday.

Aiz Cabaltica, officer in charge of Menro Cabangan, said the dolphin died at midnight on Thursday while being treated at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) research station in Barangay Bamban in Masinloc town.

The dolphin’s body was already transferred to University of the Philippines Los Baños in Laguna where it will undergo microscopy to confirm the cause of its death.

On Wednesday, local fishermen rescued the dolphin at a beach in Barangay San Isidro and gave him the name “Miggy.” He sustained wounds on its body.

The fishermen tried to send him back to the sea but he was already weak.

“Rescuers then gave him initial treatment and representatives from BFAR advised to just take him out to the sea and make a portable pond and put Miggy there where he can rest,” said Cabaltica in a phone interview.

Struggled to escape

After a few hours, BFAR Masinloc, which is more capable of handling the situation, took custody of Miggy and transported to their research station where he died.

Citing an initial assessment from BFAR, Cabaltica said Miggy’s wounds were likely caused by illegal fishing.

“Some marks were allegedly caused by a fishing net and it looks like his belly was hooked, meaning he may have been already caught but just escaped,” Cabaltica said.

“He also sustained other wounds that he allegedly got when he was already weak and was hit by sharp objects,” Cabaltica added.

It was yet to identify Miggy’s species but several dolphins are at risk of extinction, with some classified as critically endangered or endangered due to threats like incidental catches.

Section 2 of the Fisheries Administrative Order No. 185 banned the taking or catching of said marine species. It is also unlawful to wound or kill it in the course of catching other species of fish.