PacifyIn the past two days, two dolphins 1.2 m long and weighing about 20 kg were discovered dead by people on Cu Lao Xanh, Nhon Chau commune, Quy Nhon.
On December 12 and 13, fishermen who were fishing on Cu Lao Xanh island discovered two dead dolphins, one of which was wrapped in a fisherman’s 3-membrane net, with marks on its neck and bleeding. eye. The remaining animal has no wounds on its body.
Finless dolphins are easily identified with a large groove on their back. Image: Duc Phuc
Both dolphins are about 1.2 m long and weigh about 20 kg. After being brought to shore, the dolphin was performed worshiping and burial rituals according to customs by the Nam Hai Mausoleum Committee.
Mr. Vu Long, expert at the Center for Biodiversity and Endangered Species Conservation (CBES), said the above two cases are both finless dolphins. Neophocaena phocaenoidesbelongs to the rat dolphin family Phocoenidae. This species has a long, rough groove on its back.
Finless dolphins are common in Vietnam, but are considered a Vulnerable species (VU) according to the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This species lives close to the shore, and during the windy season it often swims closer to the shore. This species can travel singly or in small groups.
According to information provided by people, Nhon Chau waters are a long-standing regular habitat area for this species of fish. When the sea is rough, fish move closer to shore, get entangled in nets and suffocate.
Fishermen brought the dolphin to Mr. Nam Hai’s mausoleum for burial according to custom. Image: Duc Phuc
Mr. Tran Van Hanh, head of the Nam Hai Mausoleum Committee in Nhon Chau commune, said that this year, 4 fish died in Nhon Chau, including 3 finless dolphins (with grooves on their backs) and a Frase dolphin ( pointed, long mouth). Currently, the mausoleum has 10 walls containing whale skeletons, of which 6 are finless dolphins.
Mr. Nguyen Ha Lao, Chairman of Nhon Chau Commune Farmers’ Association, said that fishermen using three-membrane nets often release their nets in the evening and pull the nets early the next morning, so they cannot detect dolphins entangled in the nets for rescue. timely.
Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development promulgate the Action Plan for management and conservation of Vietnam’s marine mammals for the period 2024 – 2028. The purpose is to effectively manage, conserve and protect marine mammal resources.
According to Mr. Long, the locality should encourage people to reduce netting in areas where dolphins live during the rough sea season. If the net needs to be attached to plastic soft drink bottles, attach one bottle to every 20 m of the net. Dolphins use ultrasound to locate and hunt prey. The fishermen’s nets are thin, thinly woven, and flutter in the water so the dolphins cannot detect them. But plastic bottles containing gas are easy to detect with ultrasound. There is also the popping sound from the dragon in the bottle, which can signal dolphins that there is an obstacle. This practice has recently been applied in South America, to reduce bycatch of dolphin species.