Seven more dead dolphins were found on a Mauritius beach on Thursday, a government official said, a day after 17 carcasses were washed up near an oil spill caused by a Japanese ship that struck a coral reef.
“We found seven more dolphins this morning in a state of decomposition,” Jasvin Sok Appadu from the fisheries ministry told Reuters.
The cause of death of 25 dolphins that washed up in Mauritius near the site of an oil spill remains unclear after two of the animals showed no trace of oil in their bodies, a preliminary autopsy report showed on Thursday.
“The preliminary results show that the animals did not have trace of hydrocarbon in their respiratory system, nor in their skin, throat or stomach,” the report said.
Some dolphins washed ashore on Wednesday and more were found on Thursday. Only two of the dolphins found on Wednesday had been examined so far, the report said. Those two dolphins appeared to have injuries on their bodies, it added.
The dolphins found on Thursday will be examined by a government veterinarian, according the statement. The spill came from the Japanese-owned MV Wakashio, which ran aground on July 25 and began to spill oil about a week later. The ship was scuttled Monday.
Local environmental group Eco-Sud called for the full autopsy results to be released publicly, and international environmental pressure group Greenpeace called on the government of Mauritius to launch an inquiry to determine whether the deaths of the mammals were linked to the oil spill.
Eco-Sud said the group wanted to be present during the autopsy “to better understand why the dolphins died,” but was still waiting for a response from authorities. While, Greenpeace called on the government of Mauritius to launch an “urgent investigation to determine the cause of the deaths and any ties to the Wakashio oil spill”.
“The dead dolphins had several wounds and blood around their jaws, no trace of oil however. The ones that survived, around ten, seemed very fatigued and could barely swim,” said Jasvin Sok Appadu from the fisheries ministry. The dead dolphins were taken to the Albion Fisheries Research Centre for an autopsy, Appadu said.
The spill came from the Japanese-owned MV Wakashio, which ran aground on July 25 and began to spill oil about a week later. The ship was scuttled Monday.
The full impact of the spill is still unfolding, but scientists have warned of a major ecological disaster, which could impact Mauritius and its tourism-dependent economy for decades.
The wildlife at risk include the critically endangered Pink Pigeon, endemic to the island, the seagrasses, clownfish and mangrove forests, whose roots serve as nurseries for fish.
The Mauritius Marine Conservation Society said 15 kilometers of coastline have been affected by the spill and it is moving towards the Blue Bay Marine park, home to 38 types of coral and 78 species of fish. (Reuters)