Record number of dolphin deaths on Black Sea coastline

A record number of dolphins are washing up dead on Bulgaria’s Black Sea beaches according to reports. 108 dead individuals have been accounted for by local authorities already this year, with the cause of death still unknown.

Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boiko Borissov has called a special meeting with conservation organizations to try to establish the cause and how best to deal with the issue.

There are three species of dolphins in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, the short-beaked common dolphin, the harbour porpoise and the common bottlenose dolphin.

In recent years there have been allegations that local fishermen may be responsible for the dolphin deaths along this stretch of coast. The penalty for killing a dolphin in the country is a fine of up to 20,000 levs ($11,270) and imprisonment for up to five years.