Ecobreves – MEXICO: Oil Reportedly Not Cause of Dolphin Deaths

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Mar 6 2006 (IPS) - A respected marine researcher said there is no evidence to confirm, as environmentalist groups do, that the periodic death of dolphins on the Pacific coast at Ciudad del Carmen are caused by oil exploration and drilling activities. From 2004 to now, 41 dead dolphins have been found on Ciudad del Carmen beaches, an area where the dolphin population is around 800.

“Many of the animals died when they were trapped in nets or by some sort of human intervention. The others we are not clear on the caues, but we are investigating, and soon there will be a report,” Gerardo Rivas, a licensed expert at the Autonomous University del Carmen for conducting cetacean autopsies, told Tierramérica.

So far there is no evidence indicating that the deaths were due to petroleum activities, he said.

The environmental group Mangrove Network maintains that these marine mammals have died as a result of petroleum industry activities of the state-run company Pemex, and that the officials are trying to hide the evidence.