Bulgarian public was shocked to read the personal account of Atanass Rousev called “The dream of the dead dolphin“. Atanass has layed out his dealings with the desinterested authorities when the body of a shot dolphin was washed ashore.
The dolphin washed ashore in Tzarevo with automatic bullet wounds
The “protected” animal was shot with an automatic weapon. Earlier this summer the mayor of the same municipality explained that dolphins are a menace and need to be gunned down. Nevertheless the mayor and his neigbour mayor – in Ahtopol who supports his views on killing dolphins – claim to have “nothing to do with it”. (Have in mind it it the same region where tormenting dogs is considered “tradition“).
After being nearly wiped out in the 70-ties by barbaric killing squads, the Black sea dolphin population is slowly increasing back to it’s normal population. The intelligent animals have quickly learnt that there is fish in the fishermens nets and often hoard them, tearing the nets to eat the fisg. Many dolphins lose their lives getting caught in these nets. Witnesses claim that fishermen often kill dolphins tangled in their net. But having them wave automatic weapons and shoot dolphins is something new even for Bulgaria.
Police “inspect” the body from a distance of 8 meters, then report “it’s all OK”
After calling every possible authority, finally the police came. They didn’t look at the body closely, nor took bullets for a ballistic expertise. According to the local state prosecutor – there is no crime. Shooting a protected species; severe cruelty to a mammal; automatic weapon misusage: 3 crimes we can think of immedeately. But not for Bulgarian authorities.
Only after a wave of rage sweapt through Facebook is it that former head of Ecobalance and current Minister of agriculture Nikolay Naidenov ordered a check-up. In the matter of days the media finaly started to report the cases of murdered dolphins at Bulgarian shores. ( The Ministry of Agriculture is also responsible for the Veterinary authority – the people who should be implementing control under the Animal protection act, but are certainly not doing their job.)
Stories from the last few days: These dolphins were most likely murdered as well (the one on the top right was butchered together with her baby).
Locals from the same beaches report that killed or stabbed dolphins are commonly washed ashore. They are forced to burry them in the sand themselves…
Iliana Dimitrova – 24 chasa daily – Asks why there is no official investigation on the case
Trud.bg writes: Bulgarian European MP requests help for local fisherman “devastated by the horrible beasts”
BTV reports – a mother dolphin and her cub – shot and washed ashore in Chernomoretz
Bulgarian reality.
People who are involved with Animal Rescue Sofia remember the cruel and savage murder of Jessy the puppy at our shelter. Jessy was skinned alive by an unknown maniac on August 28 2010. Of course, we called the pollice immedeately. The police investigators were “quick”! They came on February 17 2011. Of course there wasn’t anything left to investigate, thank you, bye, case closed…
And is it necessery to say at all that our call for help on the selling of dog skin at the Ilienci market lead to a dead end? We got a responce from the European Comissioner, but our local veterinary authority was just too busy and important to do their job. Our complaint was transferred from one authority to the other until it was made clear to us – “nothing will come out of this, stop bothering us with silly issues”.
It is disgraseful.
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