Probe into whale, dolphin carcasses washed ashore

Two officials from Colombo visited Jaffna on Tuesday evening to find out whether the whale which had washed ashore on the Suruvil, Kayts beach in Jaffna had died as a result of plastic and chemical materials which had entered the sea from MV X-Press Pearl container ship which caught fire off the Colombo Outer Harbour. Fishermen had informed the Jaffna Fisheries Inspection office about the whale carcass which had been found on the beach and officials, the Police and Navy had subsequently inspected it. Since the officials were unable to come to a proper conclusion two officials from Colombo had come to Jaffna to help out with the inspections.

Update:

 S.Deeyagahage -Southern Province Roving Corr and Northern Province Special Corr

Two officials from Colombo visited Jaffna on Tuesday evening to find out whether the whale which had washed ashore on the Suruvil, Kayts beach in Jaffna had died as a result of plastic and chemical materials which had entered the sea from MV X-Press Pearl container ship which caught fire off the Colombo Outer Harbour.

Fishermen had informed the Jaffna Fisheries Inspection office about the whale carcass which had been found on the beach and officials, the Police and Navy had subsequently inspected it.

Since the officials were unable to come to a proper conclusion two officials from Colombo had come to Jaffna to help out with the inspections. Meanwhile, the Hikkaduwa Wildlife Park Office said that two dead turtles were found on the Gintota beach near the Galle Samanala Bridge on Tuesday.

The two turtle carcasses had washed up on the shore near the Samanala Bridge on and the Gintota beach on Tuesday.

Since the day that MV X-Press Pearl ship had sunk, 10 dead turtles had washed up on Southern beaches together with the carcasses of three dolphins.

The Hikkaduwa Wildlife Office has obtained orders from Galle, Balapitiya Magistrate’s Court to the Attidiya Wildlife Veterinarian Office to conduct post-mortem examinations of the dead turtles to find out whether they had died due to toxic chemicals from the MV X-Press Pearl ship.