Baby Finless Porpoise Washed up on Oil-Stained Beach

A dead juvenile finless porpoise was found on an oil-contaminated beach in Kinmen County yesterday, November 3, after a Chinese-registered gravel ship that ran aground last month broke up and sank around 700 meters offshore.

The vessel Quan Hai 88 ran aground on October 16, with 10 tons of diesel fuel and 60 tons of heavy oil on board, according to this Liberty Times Network Report made on October 17. The same report said that port authorities on the Taiwan side had granted permission for a barge engaged by the Chinese owners to enter and remove fuel from the vessel and set up an oil boom to prevent possible contamination.

Today’s reports say that the oil contaminating the beach is due to “residual oil” and the Kinmen County Environmental Bureau said that they have already begun proceedings to issue fines for the pollution.

finless porpoise
Dead Indo-pacific finless porpoise washed up on oil-contaminated beach in Kinmen County Taiwan, November 3, 2017.
sunken gravel boat on Kinmen coast
Sunken vessel, the Qinghai 88 (泉海88號) off the coast of Kinmen, November 3, 2017.
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