Cases of deliberate killing of dolphins recorded off the Black Sea coast in Romania

Cases of murder of dolphins with torn stomachs were recorded off the Black Sea coast in Romania. Reports about it «BessarabiaINFORM» with reference to the Romanian media.

The administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania) accused the fishermen of illegal activities, namely, illegal sturgeon fishing, which resulted in dolphin casualties.

This phenomenon has a background. The management of the Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (AFZDD), after negotiating with fishing associations in the framework of the Committee on Fisheries, agreed to let the Romanian fishermen continue to catch herring until June.

“The latest data has drawn attention to the fact that some fishermen have used this agreement for illegal sturgeon fishing. There were also signs that this illegal activity, under the guise of the catch of herring, had led to many dolphin casualties in the region. In order to verify this information, the work of the mobile group of the DFDD was organized and the information was confirmed, ”the reserve administration said in a press release.

So, on May 16, in an isolated zone where two groups of fishermen carry out fishing activities at sea, two bags with 60 kg of sturgeon were found, and 3 dead dolphins were found nearby on the Black Sea coast. Found individuals were in the stage of decomposition. The stomachs of the animals cast ashore were opened. According to biologists, a deep incision in the abdomen is made to hide the traces of the crime – so that the corpses of dolphins go to the bottom.

“In principle, for a fisherman, a dolphin is an enemy and a competitor in terms of fishing, which is why we have repeated cases of dolphin killing by fishermen. In addition, when fishing is carried out by means of bottom nets, there is always the risk of a dolphin entering there. Bottom nets are so arranged that, even once there, the animal can still jump over the water and inhale the air, but later it is impossible to disentangle the dolphin and release it without cutting the bottom net. Bottom nets, fishermen say, are quite expensive and therefore many of them find it easier to kill an animal than to spoil tackle, ”biologists explain.

In Romania, similar incidents occurred in previous years. In this regard, the Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve demanded from the national Fisheries and Aquaculture Agency in the Order on the ban for 2020 to specify a clear period for catching herring in the Black Sea, which will most closely correspond to the behavior of this species of fish during the migration period.

In АБЗДД they stated that since some fishermen do not behave properly, they will not make concessions to them next year, and violators will be notified that they will leave this zone altogether.

Source: save-animals.info