A DOLPHIN AND a seal have been found dead on a Waterford beach, days after two seals died after being shot on the same beach.
The wounds to the two animals found on Tramore Beach yesterday are believed to be consistent with gunshot wounds.
A spokesperson for the Irish Seal Sanctuary said that the deaths appear to be an illegal cull and called on the regulatory authorities to carry out post-mortems on the animals to determine the exact cause of death. Some fisherman in the area have called for a cull of seals.
All marine mammals are protected under European law, and Ireland’s territorial waters are a declared whale and dolphin sanctuary.
“We’re working with the fisheries industry to try to resolve this,” Johnny Woodlock of the Irish Seal Sanctuary told TheJournal.ie.
“We’re not against a properly regulated cull but it’s the guy who goes out with a shotgun and takes potshots, that’s what we’re against”.
The two seals found earlier this week had to be euthanised after they were found with “horrific” injuries on Tramore Beach.
A number of groups, including the Irish Wildlife Trust, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and the Waterford SPCA are monitoring the situation.
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