More than 100 dolphins died in a week off the coast of the Krasnodar Territory

In recent weeks, the number of dead dolphins in the Krasnodar region has increased sharply. Only in the last week of March, 101 dead dolphins were found, reports the scientific and ecological center “Delpha”. In total, 137 dead cetaceans were found on the coast in March.

Environmentalists report that the majority of dolphin carcasses washed ashore have traces left by fishing nets. In addition, some corpses are found disembowelled and with stones attached to them. “Of course, fishermen do not kill dolphins on purpose (cetaceans die when caught in nets), this is how they try to get rid of bodies caught in nets,” environmentalists believe.

“Delfe” notes that this year the quota for catching flounder for the Caucasus was doubled. Flounder nets are considered the most dangerous for marine mammals. Environmentalists believe that it is necessary to urgently look for an alternative to them or revise the rules of fishing, otherwise the Black Sea off the coast of the Kuban may remain without dolphins.

• Last year, ecologists stated that the fighting in Ukraine is harming the population of Black Sea dolphins: due to shell explosions in the waters of the Black Sea, the animals’ echolocation is disturbed, they die due to the inability to navigate in space and due to stress.