English.news.cn 2010-05-03 13:24:26
JAKARTA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Whale population in the waters of Indonesia's Lamalera has been decreasing in the last three years, supposedly caused by the mammal's movement, Kompas daily quoted residents as saying on Monday.
Traditional fishermen in Lamalera of East Nusa Tenggara province's Lembata regency, said that the decrease resulted in declining whale capture.
According to Martinus Hulu, a tribeman of Lelaona in Lamalera, whales captured in 2007 were about 30, decreasing to 20s in 2008 and two in 2009.
"So far this year we only had captured two in March," said Martinus on Sunday.
Katarina Beto Key, another resident of Lamalera, said the decreasing capture was a concern as people rely on the whale capture to support their economic needs.
People usually capture spermwhale or Physeter macrocephalus.
The Representative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Lembata regency, Februanti, said that she was not sure about the cause.
"We need a deeper analysis. However, it might be caused by natural factor or whale movement," she said.
