Dead sea cow washes ashore in Iloilo

A dead sea cow, or dugong, washed ashore in Banate, Iloilo, drawing residents to the beach as authorities launched an investigation into the marine mammal’s death.

In Kuya Kim’s report on “24 Oras,” Friday, a resident said that the animal measured around six to seven feet long and weighed an estimated 300 to 400 kilograms.

Personnel from the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) immediately examined the dugong’s remains to determine the cause of death.

“‘Pag natukoy po namin na namatay po siya dahil sa illegal or maling pagkuha sa kanya, mayroon pong mananagot,” Banate, Iloilo MENR Officer Sanly Galves said.

According to Kuya Kim, sea cows are gentle marine mammals once commonly found across different parts of the Philippines, but their population has steadily declined since the 1970s.

One major factor linked to their decline is the destruction of seagrass meadows, their primary food source.

Over the past five decades, an estimated 30 to 50 percent of seagrass meadows in the Philippines has been damaged.

Marine biologist Glennville Castrence said the loss of seagrass habitats has serious consequences, not only for sea cows, but also for the wider marine ecosystem.

“Malaki ang epekto ng pagkasira ng seagrass meadow dahil ito ang pinagkukunan ng pagkain, hindi lang ng dugong kundi iba pang pati marine life. Naapektuhan din ang buong coastal ecosystem na mahalaga para sa survival ng mga dugong,” he said.

Because of dwindling food sources, some sea cows are forced to migrate in search of feeding grounds, exposing them to greater risks.

Several sea cow deaths have also been linked to accidents, including entanglement in fishing nets, dynamite fishing, and boat strikes. Due to these threats, sea cows are now considered critically endangered.

“Mahalagang maprotektahan ang natitirang populasyon nila. May mga conservation efforts pa ring sinasagawa sa mga lugar tulad ng Palawan at Davao Gulf kung saan may natitira pang populasyon ng dugong,” Castrence said. —Carby Rose Basina/JCB, GMA News