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BANGKOK POST Jan 30 1999 Ultimatum handed to fisheries officials Dolphin deaths blamed on anchovy trawlers
Trang Local fishermen will give fisheries officials a week to deal with anchovy trawlers, failing which they will hold a mass protest. The warning was issued yesterday by Maitree Visetsart, chairman of the local fishermen's group, after the mysterious death of 11 bottle-nosed dolphins and four dugongs in the sea off this southern province since early this month. Mr Maitree blamed the death of the sea animals on some 70 anchovy trawlers from other provinces which have been illegally fishing in the no-fishing zone off Libong island. He alleged that fisheries officials had not been enthusiastic about dealing with the problem. "Every time a dolphin or a dugong was found dead, fishery officials would have the dead fish sent to a laboratory in Phuket for tests to find out the cause of its death. Then everything went quiet. There have never been reports of the findings," he said. Mr Maitree claimed that many of the local fishermen in 65 villages who altogether operate some 5,000 small coastal fishing boats would join the planned protest. The leading fisherman said officials often complained that they were under-staffed and were unable to patrol the sea to fend off fishing fleets engaged in illegal fishing in no-fishing zone. He suggested that the officials recruit local fishermen who are willing to help out to protect the marine resources. According to the Yad Fon Foundation, between 40-50 dugongs have been sighted in the sea off Sikao, Kantang and Palien district and Hat Samran subdistrict, especially off Libong island. According to government marine biologist Supoj Chantrapornsilp, viral infection and not anchovy trawlers is likely to be the cause of death of the bottle-nosed dolphins. Mr Supoj, of the Marine Biological and Fishery Research Institute, Fisheries Department, reported the result of a preliminary autopsy of one of the dead dolphins yesterday. He said the internal organ of the dolphin exhibited conditions similar to those reported in cases overseas where severe viral infection was the cause of death. "More importantly, I found no food at all in its stomach. The reason why dolphins or whales or turtles are often caught in nets is that they follow their food. And if they were really drowned by trawlers, it could't be anchovy trawlers because the nets aren't big enough," Mr Supoj explained. If they were actually caught in nets, the nets were more likely to be those of tuna trawlers than anchovy trawlers, he added. His findings contradict accounts of local villagers who reported that there were cuts and bruises on the dolphins' bodies. But Mr Supoj said he believes the cuts probably occurred after death as the bodies were swept by currents against rocks and sand. "The cuts don't look like they were caused by fishnets," he said. However, his findings are not final until he finishes performing a post-mortem on the other five bodies within a week. Mr Supoj will also perform an autopsy on a dead dugong which was found by fishermen near the island Wednesday. In a preliminary examination, Mr Supoj discovered two small holes in its upper palate and stomach believed to be inflicted by fishing hook. "An accident is out of question because no other injury was found," he concluded, but he did not speculate on the likely perpetrator. This is the third dead dugong found off the coast of Trang in recent months. Dugong and dolphin are protected species. © Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1998
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