Alfredo Valencia (Verdemar Ecologistas en Acción)
Photographs: Rocío Espada.
Plástico asesino
The Straits of Gibraltar, and more specifically
the Bay of Algeciras in the province of Cádiz is
no stranger to the problem of plastics and their
impact on cetaceans.
The Bay of Algeciras plays an important role in
the development of the life cycle of species such
as the common dolphin, a species categorised as
endangered according to the I.U.C.N (Internatio-
nal Union for Conservation of Nature), which it
uses for both reproduction and feeding.
In fact, it is considered a vital area or “hots-
pot” for cetaceans. In addition to all of this data,
it should be kept in mind that species such as the
common whale (the second largest whale in the
world) and the sperm whale pass through the en-
trance of the Bay, making it a sensitive area for
maritime traffic, thus increasing the impact on
marine creatures in the canal and the Bay of Al-
geciras.
In relation to plastic, the vast majority ends up
in the sea. Unfortunately, and as can be seen in
the photo that accompanies this article, they end
up in the snouts of dolphins. This particular case
shown in the photo was sighted three years ago
in the Bay of Algeciras. Everything was attempted
to try and to release it, but it was practically im-
possible due to the animals’ constant movement.
After a few days, we stopped seeing him in his
group, probably because he had died of starvation.
Verdemar Ecologists in Action warns of the
landfill oceans have become in recent decades,
which puts cetaceans at serious risk: a recent
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OTWO 05 / DECEMBER 2019
OTWO 05 / DECEMBER 2019
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