Captain of ship sailing under Turkish flag fined for killing dolphin

The dead dolphin was found on the Batumi coast on March 10, 2019. Photo: National Supervisory Agency press office. 

Agenda.ge, 18 Mar 2019 - 16:13, Tbilisi,Georgia

A captain of a ship sailing under a Turkish flag has been fined for killing a dolphin near the Batumi coast.

The captain admitted his guilt in the matter. 

Batumi City Court fined him with 40,900 GEL.

The ship will leave Georgia once the fine is paid off. 

The dead dolphin was found on the Batumi coast on March 10, 2019.

On February 25, 2019 another dead dolphin was found on the shore of Shekvetili in the Guria region. Specialists said injuries by birds or other mammals had caused the dolphin’s death.

Another dolphin found dead in Shekvetili, February, 2019. Photo: Environmental Supervisory Agency press office. 

Approximately 120 mammals were found washed up on Georgia’s Black Sea coast in 2018, the Environment Protection Department states.

Specialists report that high pollution in the Black Sea causes acute viral diseases that frequently result in the death of dolphins.