Fishermen in Venezuela Accused of Killing Dolphins

CARACAS, Venezuela —  Environmental groups, including the Venezuelan Environment Ministry, charge that fishermen are killing dolphins for bait to catch sharks.

One group, Fundatropicos, claims that the shark fishermen are harpooning thousands of dolphins a year to hook small sharks used in a favorite Venezuelan delicacy called cazon .

Some fishermen and government officials deny the charges, but the allegations have touched off a heated debate among environmentalists in Venezuela.

The result has been conflicting press reports, confusion over the number of dolphins killed, uncertainty about which fishermen might be responsible, a call for a boycott of shark meat and an open rivalry between two government ministries.

“Between 6,000 and 7,000 dolphins per year are killed by shark fishermen using a system called trotline fishing,” said Eduardo Szeplaki, a biologist who is spearheading a campaign by Fundatropicos. A trotline is a long fishing line with hundreds of baited hooks attached to it.

In July, the Environment Ministry identified 12 fishing boats thought to be killing dolphins and the areas where the killings were taking place.

According to Szeplaki, Venezuelan fishermen got the idea of using dolphins as shark bait from Asia. The dolphin meat is fibrous, lasts as long as three days and is regarded as effective in attracting sharks.

Killing dolphins, while prohibited by Venezuelan law, also enables fishermen to avoid having to buy bait.

Daniel Novoa, director of the fishing section at the Venezuelan Agriculture Ministry, described Fundatropicos’ accusations as “completely without foundation.”

He says nine South Korean boats operating in Venezuelan waters may have killed dolphins but departed more than a year and a half ago. According to Novoa, Venezuela now has only four trotline shark boats, despite Fundatropicos’ claim of 17.

While acknowledging the possibility of “isolated cases” of dolphin killings, Novoa said captains of shark boats deny it.

Salvador Bohir, director of an Environment Ministry animal protection agency, disagreed with Novoa.

“I am far more realistic,” he said. “Yes, there are irregularities.”

In Venezuela, the Agriculture Ministry is charged with marketing and developing ocean resources, while the Environment Ministry oversees their protection and conservation.

“At times the marketing part takes precedence over protection,” said Jose Gregoria Garcia, an engineer at the Environment Ministry. “There must be greater communication and teamwork.”

Dolphins are protected by international accords in the Pacific, where dolphins and tuna swim together--and dolphins sometimes suffocate in tuna fishermen’s nets. Venezuela, which sends tuna fleets into the Pacific, met the terms of those accords last year after a 38-day tuna embargo by the United States.

But no such accords apply to the Caribbean, which makes up Venezuela’s shoreline, and the shark fishermen, who are just 1% of the nation’s fishing fleet.

Szeplaki maintains that nearly half of all species of dolphin can be found in Venezuelan waters and that some species might be in danger of extinction.

Despite the accusations of dolphin killings in the press and official circles, only one trotline shark boat has been cited so far.