Perilous
Times
AT least 264 dead dolphins have washed ashore over the past
three days on Peru's northern coast
From correspondents in Lima
AFP
February 11, 2012 10:47AM
At least 260 dolphins wash ashore in Chiclayo, Peru in over a
week.
AT least 264 dead bottlenose dolphins have washed ashore over the
past three days on Peru's northern coast, officials said as they
seek to discover what killed the marine animals.
The dead dolphins were found over a 103 kilometre stretch of sandy
beach, said Edward Barriga, an official with Peru's Oceanic
Institute (IMARPE).
"We have taken samples to determine the cause of death," said
Barriga, speaking from the city of Lambayeque, adding that vast
quantities of dead anchovies had also been found in the region.
The dolphins may have been killed by the impact of off-shore oil
exploration and drilling in the region, said Carlos Yaipen with
ORCA, a non-governmental group that focuses helping ocean
creatures in the south Pacific.
The mass dolphin deaths are a "very serious" issue, Mr Yaipen told
AFP.
The head of a Lambayeque group representing aquafarmers, Jorge
Cabrejos, said the anchovies appear to have eaten contaminated
plankton, which then sickened the dolphins that ate the small
fish.
Thirty-four of the world's 81 species of cetaceans swim off the
Peruvian shores, 17 of which are dolphins. Of those, the most
common is the bottlenose dolphin.