published April 17, 2009 in BusinessWorld
TACLOBAN CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is pushing for the establishment of a P1-million regional rehabilitation facility in Guiuan, Eastern Samar to treat stranded marine mammals in Eastern Visayas.
Presently, only the Ocean Adventure Marine Park in Subic Bay Freeport Zone has the capability and resources to provide long-term rehabilitation for the stranded mammals.
The BFAR, however, has an existing laboratory in Barangay Diit in this city which serves as temporary shelter for stranded whales, dolphins, porpoises and other marine animals.
"Our existing facility is not the best place to care for stranded marine mammals," BFAR Regional Director Juan Albaladejo told BusinessWorld.
A stranded marine mammal refers to one that has beached or run aground and is helpless or has lost the capability to return to its natural habitat. Marine mammals strand for various reasons such as physical injury from predators and human activities, errors in navigation, illness, malnutrition and infectious disease.
Lemuel Aragones, a marine zoologist of the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, cited the advantages of rehabilitating these animals, which include gaining new knowledge on animal disease and veterinary therapies as well as the identification of new threats to wild populations and marine resources.
"This also provides opportunity to further educate the public on the threats to marine mammals and their habitat and to promote their conservation," said Mr. Aragones, also a consultant of Ocean Adventure.
The Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network was formed in Eastern Visayas in March. Among others, the network aims to develop regional rehabilitation facilities for long-term care of stranded animals.
At least 16 public and private agencies, including the academe, joined the network in the regional level. A similar group was also organized in the six provinces of the region.
In a recent meeting, Mr. Albaladejo said they expected more sightings of marine mammals especially in Leyte Gulf and Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte due to climate change. The mammals normally beach in Eastern Visayas region, which faces the Pacific Ocean.
In the third week of March, a fisherman found two bottle-nosed dolphins caught in his fishing net in the waters off Macarthur Park in Palo, Leyte. He then set the animals free.
"The dolphins were following their prey when they got entangled in the fishing net," Mr. Albaladejo said.
In February, two Risso’s dolphins were found in the shore of San Sebastian, Samar. The mammals died after a few days despite having been taken care of.
Sightings and stranding of marine mammals in many areas of the region have become common.
Mr. Albaladejo said there was a need to establish a network that will undertake activities to conserve these animals.
The country is home to 26 types of cetaceans ranging from ordinary bottle-nosed dolphins to pygmy blue whales.- Sarwell Q. Meniano
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