AN ENVIRONMENTALIST expressed concerns after another marine creature was found dead along the coastlines in Davao Region.
D’Bone Collector Museum director Darrell Blatchey said the dead Pygmy Sperm Whale found dead by a fisherfolk in the coastal road construction in Matina Aplaya, Davao City on Sunday, July 28, is much alarming since it is the fifth death recorded this year.
Blatchley said D’Bone Collector already recorded 63 dead whales and dolphins in Davao Region for the past 10 years, wherein five were found dead this year.
He said 48 out of 58 deaths recorded were due to ingestion of plastics, while four were found to be pregnant.
Deaths of these marine creatures were oftentimes due to fish net traps, dynamite fishing and plastic wastes.
“It is showing the condition of our oceans. The fact that we are not taking good care of the oceans, that five out of five na mga patay nga marine cretures tungod sa tao (due to human activities)," Blatchley said.
He also said marine creatures die due plastic wastes ingestion has become normal throughout the years.
"It shows we have already destroyed our country, our oceans, so much to the point nga mamatay tungod sa basura (they would just die due to garbage)," Blatchley said.
In March this year, authorities recovered some 40 kilos of plastic bags, as well as 16 rice sacks, four banana plantation-style bags and multiple shopping bags that were ingested by a dead-juvenile male Curvier Beaked Whale, which was found along the coastline of Barangay Cadunan in Mabini, Compostela Valley province.
In April, a female Pygmy Sperm Whale was found floating along the coastline of Calderon Seaside Kilometer 22, Bucana, Bunawan District, Davao City. This time, Blatchley said it was believed to have been a victim of dynamite fishing.
He said these killings are attributed to the irresponsible waste segregation.
“Majority sa mga Pilipino damak daw. Adtoon nimu sa mga malls kung naay convention hulog ang mga basura murag naay yaya nagsunod sa iyaha paglimpyo (Majority of the Filipinos are filthy accordingly. When you visit malls for conventions, they just dropped trashes and looks like they have maids who follow them and clean their mess)," Blatchley said.
Blatchley said these could be avoided from happening in the future if people would learn to respect marine water and creatures by practicing waste segregation and lessen plastic consumption.
“Pwede mi mulimpyo sa kanal ug dagat kada-adlaw, pero kung 80 percent sa population hugaw ug 20 percent limpyo, pildi gihapun (We can clean the canals and oceans everyday but if 80 percent of the population is insanitary and 20 percent is clean, we still lose)," he said.
He also urged the public to immediately report to local authorities for any reported dead or alive sea creatures washed ashore. (Cristita L. Canoy, MSU-Intern/With reports from RGL)