A group of dolphins was spotted off the coast of Póvoa de Varzim on Thursday, November 27.
“Today, a large group of dolphins passed off the coast of Póvoa de Varzim heading south to north,” noted videographer Rui Jorge da Costa Cabral e Almeida, who shared the footage on Instagram.
It is noteworthy that in October, a dozen dolphins were seen off the beaches of Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde, an event also captured on video by observers present at the location.
Additionally, in mainland Portugal, at least one dolphin dies accidentally in fishing nets daily, according to researcher Catarina Eira from the University of Aveiro.
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the expert explained that these are accidental captures because dolphins are not a target species for fishing, although getting caught in various fishing methods is “very frequent.”
“We have recorded animals that have reached the beaches dead, and in analyses, we can identify the cause of death, most often due to ‘accidental capture,'” she said, noting that such capture occurs in all types of fishing, whether using gillnets, surround nets, or the xávega art.
Among various dolphin species, the porpoise is of most concern. “If the mortality rate does not decrease, we predict extinction on the Portuguese coast in the next 20 years,” warned Catarina Eira, explaining that the common dolphin has the highest capture and mortality rate, much higher than other species like the striped dolphin or the bottlenose dolphin.
Although not facing extinction, there are about three thousand dolphins in captivity worldwide. In Europe, Portugal ranks high despite having only two dolphinariums. In statements to Notícias ao Minuto, the Animal Ombudsperson highlighted the need to prohibit the breeding of this species in captivity as well as exchanges between entities to foster the creation of a “sea sanctuary.”
Daniela Filipe | 09:15 – 27/10/2023
