Environment

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‘Dead dolphins now danger to environmental pollution’

Posted: Friday May 05, 2006 12:37 PM BT

By Issa Yussuf, Zanzibar

The Zanzibar Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Environment has raised concern over the possible environmental pollution caused by the unidentified number of dolphin carcasses still stuck among the mangrove trees, citing poison to have caused the massive deaths of the sea animals last week.

The Zanzibar Director of Fisheries and Marine Science Department, Mussa Aboud Jumbe, said in the first press conference by the government institution since sighting of hundreds of dead dolphins last week, that they have been working hard to clean our beaches, but it has been difficult to penetrate in the mangrove trees.

’We think there are still 'hidden' dolphin carcasses in the mangroves because of the bad smell surrounding the areas,' he said.

Jumbe told the press yesterday at his office in Zanzibar that the beaches which were parked with the dead animals have been cleaned in a joint cleaning operation involving villagers and nearby hotel workers.

He said his office would spend up to USD 2,000 to support the cleaning operation and compensating the sea weed farmers who lost farming materials mainly ropes in the dolphin incident.

Talking about the possible cause of the dolphin deaths, he said: ’Seaquake, mega sound from naval vessels, disease, or poisoning, could be among the causes,' Jumbe said.

He said: 'Seaquake occurs many times below the sea which cause mega sound of which may confuse and disorient dolphins or may distort dolphin's sonar system.

This could result dolphins to migrate to long distances, vomit and fail to eat, migrate to shallow water areas, strand and eventually die.'

The director also said that normally dolphins are affected by various diseases which could result to health problems and eventually death.

He also said that due to the long rain season, there is a possibility of some agrochemicals from farming areas to drain into the sea that could cause the deaths of the dolphins. However, the survey shows that there is no such use of chemicals within the area.'

Jumbe said investigations to be carried would involve the brain, to find out possible sonar effects caused by either the seaquake which had struck Madagascar Island in March or the earthquake along Lake Victoria in Uganda just few hours before the dolphins tragedy, or even naval vessels which had passed in the deep sea.

He said the estimated numbers of dead dolphins was between 600 and 800, and that the ongoing investigation would take a month or more.

He also disclosed that some dolphins managed to swim back into the water, and 'we shall be working closely with neighbouring countries to trace such dolphins for more study.

SOURCE: Guardian

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