According to investigations by the country’s park and wildlife department, a dead whale washed up on the shoreline of Barra-Jinack beach is a 22-ton measuring length of 15.10m and a width of 7.92m.
In a brief statement, the Department of Parks & Wildlife says they are coordinating with relevant stakeholders to dispose of the dead whale’s carcasses safely.
“The 22-ton whale washed up on a beach in Niumi between Barra and Jinack Islands. It had a length of 15.10m and a width of 7.92m. However, the species is presently in danger of extinction due to its small population size and restricted range and threats from energy exploration and development, habitat fragmentation, oil spills and oil spill response, vessel collisions, and fishing gear entanglement,’ the wildlife department said.
Meanwhile, Environmental activists have called on the authorities to launch independent Investigations to further ascertain the cause of the dead, as marine species face exponential threats at sea.
Washington Based Gambian environmental activist Omar Saho said the whale’s death must be investigated.
“What do we know about the cause of the death? Who is taking samples for lab analysis? Any marine biologist visited the scene to evaluate the body? What is going on in our waters that we don’t know? Unfortunately, this is a rare occurrence, and more studies need to be conducted to establish probable cause of death,” he said while reacting to the news.
The Gambia environmental alliance is a union of civil societies and community-based organizations working to restore and protect The Gambia environment.
In a brief statement, the group also said:” A dead whale has washed up on the shoreline of Barra-Jinack beach. Gambia Environmental Alliance NBR Rep Alieu Jallow visited the site and saw the devastating impact of our actions on marine life. It’s time for action to #ProtectOurOceans before it’s too late.”
