Mokpo Coast Guard Finds Stranded Finless Porpoise Carcass on Byeongpungdo Island, Sinan-gun

No Evidence of Illegal Capture Found, Transferred to National Institute of Fisheries Science

Mokpo Coast Guard is inspecting the carcass of a finless porpoise. ⓒ Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] Mokpo Maritime Police Station (Chief Im Jae-su) announced on the 30th that a carcass of a finless porpoise, a marine protected species also known as the "smiling dolphin," was found near the coastal area of Bogiseon Dock on Byeongpungdo Island, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, at around 9:42 a.m. on the 29th.

The discovered finless porpoise was a male measuring approximately 138 cm in length, 90 cm in girth, and weighing about 40 kg, with no signs of illegal capture found.

The maritime police handed over the finless porpoise carcass to the National Institute of Fisheries Science Whale Research Center that afternoon for accurate determination of the cause of death and marine ecological environment research.

A Mokpo maritime police official urged, "If a finless porpoise, a marine protected species, is caught in fishing nets during sea operations or if a carcass is found, please report it to the maritime police."

Meanwhile, the finless porpoise has recently experienced a sharp decline in population and is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In South Korea, it is designated as a marine protected species, prohibiting capture, distribution, and sale.

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