"Living is Pain" Australia Decides Euthanasia for 157 Dolphins Stranded on Beach

157 Pilot Whales Stranded on Beach
"Greater Suffering When Left Ashore"

Authorities who failed to rescue about 150 dolphins stranded on an Australian beach have ultimately decided to euthanize all the surviving individuals. Many of the dolphins stranded on the beach have already died from respiratory distress, and the surviving ones are reported to be suffering severe pain.

According to foreign media reports including AP and AFP on the 19th (local time), 157 pilot whales, a type of dolphin, were found on the northwest coast of Tasmania Island in southeastern Australia the previous afternoon. Local environmental authorities suspect that these whales are stranded.

Orcas stranded on the beach of Tasmania Island in southeastern Australia. Photo captured from X

Due to respiratory distress and other factors, only about 90 of these whales survived until the afternoon of the same day. Authorities attempted to tow the dolphins back to deep sea for rescue. However, the beaches near Tasmania Island are remote areas difficult for people to access or transport specialized equipment, and the weather and sea conditions were rough, resulting in a failed rescue effort.

Authorities also reported that the surviving dolphins are suffering from exposure to sunlight and strong winds. Shelley Graham, an incident manager from the Australian environmental authority, told the media, "The dolphins keep being pushed back ashore," and added, "Based on veterinary assessments by experts, we have decided to euthanize them."

Marine biologist Chris Carreon explained, "All alternatives have failed," and "The longer they are exposed on land, the longer they suffer."

Pilot whales can grow up to 6 meters in length and are known to live in groups of more than 50. These whales are classified as 'Near Threatened,' the second lowest risk level under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Meanwhile, incidents of whale pods stranding on the coast occasionally occur. This is the first time in about half a century that a large-scale stranding of pilot whales has been reported. The first reported mass stranding of pilot whales in Australia was in June 1974 on the Black River beach in northwest Tasmania, where 160 to 170 pilot whales died en masse.