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Destructive dynamite decimates dolphins: SLN wades to their rescue
The large-scale slaughter of dolphins continues in the seas off Trincomalee, Kalpitiya and the Mannar Basin, despite efforts by the relevant authorities to stop it, a senior marine environmentalist warned yesterday.
Dolphins frolic in the waters off Kalpitiya (file pic)
“In the past few days, some 15 to 20 dolphin carcasses surfaced in the seas between Kinniya and Foul Point on the east coast, where errant fishermen are known to use illegal methods such as banned nets and explosives in their hunt for Tuna and other marine species,” Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Cooperation (IOMAC)- Secretary General, Dr Hiran Jayewardene told the Sunday Times.
“Most of the dolphins are killed by the extensive use of gelignite explosives used by rogue fishermen, in their attempts to track down their catch which is mainly tuna,” said Dr. Jayewardene.
He added that dolphins are known to enter areas with large concentrations of Tuna, as it is their ‘fodder’, where they perish due to the illegal fishing tactics of the fishermen.
Several dolphin carcasses are also known to have surfaced in the seas off Kalpitiya and Mannar, added Dr. Jayewardene.
A senior official with NARA said that efforts to curb dynamite fishing were hampered owing to the poor response of the enforcement agencies such as the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), Police and the Fisheries Dept.
“The enforcement agencies must play a larger role in cracking down on these errant fishermen if such a practice is to cease, and limit the damage to the marine species,” the official who did not want to be named said.
Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the relevant authorities including the Police, SLN and the Fisheries Dept have been tasked with the job of arresting this trend, but there has been only limited success.
Trincomalee Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Macarthy Perera told the Sunday Times that the police, along with the SLN, will shortly launch joint sea patrols to apprehend those engaged in such illegal fishing activities.
“Initial investigations reveal that only small groups of local fishermen were actually involved in this practice, and the objective is to round them up at the very earliest,” DIG Perera added.
Meanwhile, the SLN for its part, claims of regular arrests of persons and groups engaged in illegal fishing methods including the use of explosives, mainly in the seas off Kalpitiya, Mannar and Trincomalee.
In the most recent such detection, the SLN on Thursday apprehended five persons engaged in illegal fishing at a location off the seas off Talaimannar in Mannar.
Fishing equipment that included four pairs of diving fins and masks, a GPS and several fishing nets along with 200 kg of illegally caught fish were also recovered from the group.
The arrested persons, along with their equipment and the catch, were later handed over to the regional fisheries officials for necessary action, said a senior SLN official.
He added that the fishermen are believed to obtain the bulk of the explosives from errant stone quarry owners and corrupt officials of State agencies.