Dead Dolphin (Photo : Getty Images)
A dead dolphin was discovered Thursday morning on a beach in Beihai, south of Guangxi Province. Local officials believe that the illegal use of electricity in fishing has caused the death of the said animal.
The dolphin’s body 1.5 meters in length. The animal is believed to be a rare species. With no obvious scars or swelling, the authorities are led to believe that electric shock caused the animal’s death.
According to local reports, the water quality in the beach is within the health standards as verified by recent tests. There was also no illegal sewage found in the area.
Fishermen use electricity to stun marine animals. Once the animals are stun, it will be difficult for them to swim away. It will then be easier for the fishermen to catch them.
The said activity, also known as “electrofishing,” is illegal. However, according to a news report, an increase in the number of “electrofishing” vessels operating in Guangxi has been observed in the past months.
The incident spurred the concern and anger of the people. Locals pay their respects to the dolphin by laying flowers and sprinkling petals over the animal’s body. A task force is also organized by the people to battle against illegal fishing activities.
A national nature reserve sent men to survey the area. The remains of the dolphin are set for further analysis.
According to Zhang Hongke, director of Guangxi Hepu Dugong National Nature Reserve, dolphin deaths have been observed every month this year. He is hoping that the authorities will tighten up on enforcing the law on illegal fishing to protect rare species such as the dolphin.
With a strict implementation of laws on fishing activities coupled with the effort of locals and environmental organizations, people are hoping to avoid dolphin death caused by the illegal use of electricity in fishing.
