Nylon strands from discarded fishing net kill sea cow in Sarangani Bay

KORONADAL CITY — Strands of fishing nylon has killed a juvenile Dugong (Dugong dugon) or sea cow in Glan, Sarangani province.

Nylon strands from a discarded fish net that got entangled in a seagrass were found to have been swallowed by the sea cow that was found lifeless a few kilometers from the shores of Barangay Tango last Sunday, February 11.

Cirilo A. Lagnason, Jr., protected area superintendent (PASu) of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), said a fisherman named Eddie Garcia found the dead mammal and immediately notified members of Glan town’s Bantay Dagat about it.

An examination by Dr. Roy Mejorada, SBPS science research specialist II and veterinarian, showed that the 60-kilo sea mammal did not suffer any external lesion nor physical trauma except for some slight scratches on the back.

READ: Fishermen discover dead sea cow in Bohol’s Baclayon town

A necropsy conducted on the mammal, however, revealed that it “suffered an obstruction in the sphincter between the first and second stomachs,” caused by the fishing nylon strands that got entangled in the seagrass that it swallowed.

Lagnason said frothy exudates – a fluid released by an organism through pores or a wound – observed in the dead sea cow’s lungs indicated that its cause of death was drowning.

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“This unfortunate incident is a call for awareness on the dangers of discarded fishing gear and irresponsible waste disposal toward our marine wildlife organisms,” Lagnason said. “This also highlights the critical role that the local community and government agencies play on the conservation of marine biodiversity.”

The Dugong was brought to the Wildlife Rescue Center in Barangay Ladol, Alabel, for taxidermy processing to aid future educational, research, and conservation purposes.