Sanctuary for endangered species to rise in Cagayan

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — Alarmed by reports of ‘maltreated’ whales and dolphins captured offshore, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here is making efforts to establish its own sanctuary for the critically endangered sea species.

BFAR Regional Director Jovita Ayson said the move was precipitated by last week’s incident where four pygmy killer whales died of multiple wounds two days after they were stranded near the San Vicente Naval Operating Base in Santa Ana, the province’s northernmost town.

Ayson said that the captured sea animals were too weak to swim back to the sea. So, their office, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Agriculture (DA), has decided to provide temporary shelter for the stranded whales.

Unfortunately, she said, the whales died while BFAR, DENR and DA personally were trying to heal them from serious injuries. Should there be an appropriate shelter for them with the necessary equipment, the endangered creatures could have been saved, she lamented.

"This was not the first case in northern Cagayan that dolphins or whales got stranded because of deep wounds and bruises caused by gunshots and hacking possibly by fishermen and poachers," Ayson said.

Because of the agency’s limited financial capabilities, Ayson is appealing to conservationists as well as non-government organizations to assist them in establishing a confinement facility for wounded whales, dolphins, turtles and other endangered sea species.