The death of a dolphin in China has sparked an outpouring of grief and inspired locals to set up a task force to prevent fishermen from illegally using electricity to kill marine life.
The dolphin was found washed up on a beach in Beihai in south China’s Guangxi province. Authorities suspect the animal was killed by fishermen who were illegally using electricity to stun fish.
The animal, reportedly of a rare species, died on Thursday morning. Its 1.5-meter-long body did not have any obvious scars or swelling, leading officials to suspect electric shock was the cause of death. Recent tests showed that the water quality met appropriate health standards and no illegal sewage was found, according to local reports.
There has been a recent spike in the number of illegal “electric fishing” vessels operating in the area according to ChinaNews in Guangxi.
The discovery of the body caused concern and anger among locals, with people visiting the scene to pay their respects, laying wreaths and sprinkling petals over the animal. People in the area are also reportedly organizing a volunteer team to combat illegal fishing.
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Staff from a national nature reserve visited the beach to survey the scene, and the dolphin remains will later undergo further testing.
“Every month this year dolphin deaths have occurred,” Zhang Hongke, director of Guangxi Hepu Dugong National Nature Reserve, told Chongqing News.
Hongke added that he hoped law enforcement agencies will clamp down on illegal fishing to protect rare species.