Regarding the Dolphin Deaths in Urla
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
July 21, 2020
REGARDING THE DOLPHIN DEATHS IN URLA
The dolphin that washed ashore in Urla, reported to our foundation on July 17, 2020, is a severely decomposed male bottlenose dolphin. As can be seen from the photographs, there is a large wound on its left lateral side, but due to its advanced decomposition, it is not possible to determine the cause or whether it occurred before or after death. In addition, another case in the same area, with a single photograph appearing in local media, is also a severely decomposed bottlenose dolphin, but no signs of gunshot wounds are visible. The other photograph circulating on social media appears to be of an individual that washed ashore in Bodrum in 2018. Apart from these two bottlenose dolphin cases, no information has been obtained regarding other cases claimed in some news reports.
Although we generally do not publish statements on cases where we perform necropsies to determine the cause of death, the continued attention this case has received has made this announcement necessary. Even if the cause of death is determined through a necropsy, it is often very difficult to understand the circumstances that caused it. For example, a dolphin may have died from drowning, but the circumstances that caused the drowning may not always be clear. The leading causes of death in dolphins that wash ashore are accidental entanglement in fishing nets and epidemic diseases, while intentional killing is among the least common causes. The holes usually created by seabirds or wounds caused by friction against the shore as the dead dolphin drifts on the surface of the sea, and the enlargement of these wounds due to the decomposition of the carcass over time, cause them to resemble gunshot wounds when washed ashore.
However, are there no animals that are shot? Of course there are, and we immediately report the cases we identify to the relevant state institutions and share them with the public. Our signature campaign to ban the possession of firearms on fishing boats is also still ongoing. www.change.org/unarmedfishing
Our foundation has been working for years on the issue of dolphins stranded on shore and dolphin deaths. While we have seen many cases of dolphins being reported as "shot" even though they weren't, this is the first time we've seen news reports claiming dolphins were "shot" even without any photographs. We are astonished that while necropsies are necessary to determine the cause of each dolphin death, the authorities and NGOs are making statements based solely on hearsay. However, we find the increased public awareness on this issue extremely valuable.
Public announcement.
July 21, 2020
REGARDING THE DOLPHIN DEATHS IN URLA
The dolphin that washed ashore in Urla, reported to our foundation on July 17, 2020, is a severely decomposed male bottlenose dolphin. As can be seen from the photographs, there is a large wound on its left lateral side, but due to its advanced decomposition, it is not possible to determine the cause or whether it occurred before or after death. In addition, another case in the same area, with a single photograph appearing in local media, is also a severely decomposed bottlenose dolphin, but no signs of gunshot wounds are visible. The other photograph circulating on social media appears to be of an individual that washed ashore in Bodrum in 2018. Apart from these two bottlenose dolphin cases, no information has been obtained regarding other cases claimed in some news reports.
Although we generally do not publish statements on cases where we perform necropsies to determine the cause of death, the continued attention this case has received has made this announcement necessary. Even if the cause of death is determined through a necropsy, it is often very difficult to understand the circumstances that caused it. For example, a dolphin may have died from drowning, but the circumstances that caused the drowning may not always be clear. The leading causes of death in dolphins that wash ashore are accidental entanglement in fishing nets and epidemic diseases, while intentional killing is among the least common causes. The holes usually created by seabirds or wounds caused by friction against the shore as the dead dolphin drifts on the surface of the sea, and the enlargement of these wounds due to the decomposition of the carcass over time, cause them to resemble gunshot wounds when washed ashore.
However, are there no animals that are shot? Of course there are, and we immediately report the cases we identify to the relevant state institutions and share them with the public. Our signature campaign to ban the possession of firearms on fishing boats is also still ongoing. www.change.org/unarmedfishing
Our foundation has been working for years on the issue of dolphins stranded on shore and dolphin deaths. While we have seen many cases of dolphins being reported as "shot" even though they weren't, this is the first time we've seen news reports claiming dolphins were "shot" even without any photographs. We are astonished that while necropsies are necessary to determine the cause of each dolphin death, the authorities and NGOs are making statements based solely on hearsay. However, we find the increased public awareness on this issue extremely valuable.
Public announcement.
