Mounting marine animal deaths raise concern
3 dolphins, 1 porpoise, 1 turtle found dead in 3 days
Concerns are mounting over the rising deaths of endangered marine animals washing ashore in Cox's Bazar. In the past three days, authorities found three dead dolphins, one porpoise, and one turtle on the coast.
On Friday, two dolphins – an Irrawaddy and an Indo-Pacific humpback – were found in Ukhiya upazila's Sonar Para and Inani beaches, respectively. Officials from the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) collected samples for further investigation.
BORI's Senior Scientific Officer Tarikul Islam identified the potential threats to the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, including habitat loss, pollution, coastal development, overfishing, and increased maritime traffic. He suspects the dolphin died from habitat degradation or accidental entanglement in fishing gear.
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Another Irrawaddy dolphin, entangled in a rope and deceased for approximately two weeks, was found on Himchari beach on Thursday. The 6 feet long animal weighed 100 kilograms. Investigators believe the three dolphins perished due to entanglement in fishing nets while swimming near the coast.
The discovery of several dead marine animals on the shores of Cox's Bazar highlights ongoing threats to local wildlife.
On February 14, a newly born Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, the first recorded in the area, was found dead at Sugandha Point. Scientists attribute its death to potential entanglement, collision, pollution or construction-related impacts.
Prof Dr Towhida Rashid, director general of BORI, confirmed that the small aquatic mammal has been preserved in their specimen museum.
Additionally, the carcass of an olive ridley sea turtle was found near the Reju River mouth on February 15. This brings the confirmed sea turtle deaths since January to at least 20.
Investigators believe this individual marine animal likely died after encountering fishing gear or while attempting to lay eggs. Some 102 eggs were found in its stomach.
These incidents follow previous discoveries of dead marine animals in the area, including Irrawaddy dolphins and whales. Such findings warrant further investigation and emphasise the need for comprehensive conservation efforts to protect endangered marine species in Cox's Bazar.
