At least 40 dolphins were found dead in a lagoon near the site of the oil spill in Mauritius
Fishermen fought Sunday to save dozens of injured dolphins stranded in Mauritius where in recent days at least 40 of the animals have been found dead in a lagoon near the site of an oil spill from a Japanese bulk carrier that hit a coral reef.
Yasfeer Heenaye, a fisherman near Pointe aux Feuilles on the island’s east coast, said he had counted at least 45 dolphins dead since their discovery on Wednesday, and said half a dozen more dolphins were found in the bay fighting for their lives.
He said he believed the animals’ vision was impaired by the spilled oil, which is why they ended up on the reef where they suffered fatal injuries.
Authorities, who put the death toll at 42, ruled out that this was a possibility, but said on Sunday they were still investigating the cause of death.
“The preliminary autopsy report ruled out that petroleum played a role, but we sent some samples of the dead dolphins to La Réunion to determine why the animals could not swim and their radar was not working”, Jasvin Sok Appadu of the ministry of Fisheries said Sunday.
So far, vets have only examined two of the dead dolphins, who showed signs of injury but no oil in their bodies, according to preliminary autopsy results. Autopsy results for all carcasses are due on Monday, the official said.
Thousands of protesters demonstrated peacefully on Saturday in the capital Port Louis to demand an investigation into the oil spill and the death of the dolphins. Some called on the government to step down.
On Sunday morning, Heenaye was with seven other boats, making noise as they banged metal bars together in an attempt to chase the coral reef animals out to sea.
“If they stay inside the lagoon, they will die like the others … we push them out of the lagoon, so that they do not come into contact with the oil”, he said. declared.
The full impact of the spill is still unfolding, scientists say. The Mauritius Marine Conservation Society said 15 kilometers of coastline had been affected by the spill and it was heading towards the Blue Bay Marine Park, which is home to 38 types of corals and 78 species of fish.
Wildlife species at risk include the island’s endemic, critically endangered pink pigeon, seagrass beds, clownfish and mangrove forests, whose roots serve as nurseries for fish.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
