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At least 200 sea lions found dead on Chilean coast

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At least 200 sea lions found dead on Chilean coast

3News NZ

Sea Lion (file picture)

Sea Lion (file picture)

At least 200 sea lions have been found dead along Chile's northern coast.

Local television stations Channels 7 and 13 are showing images of the dead and dying mammals on the rocks and in the sea near Iquique.

Chile's fishing service says many of the dead apparently are young sea lions abandoned when their mothers were drawn too far offshore hunting food. It says the El Nino phenomenon has made prey scarce near shore.

Environmental groups said Saturday they suspect a local molybdenum plant or other industry may be to blame.

News media in neighbouring Peru reported earlier this month that more than 20 sea lions had been found dead in the Chimbote region there.

AP

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Comments

24/08/2009 7:15:54 p.m.

dan wrote:

This is awesome. I'm glad those seals are gone.

24/08/2009 6:02:34 p.m.

Sisao Tresed wrote:

I'm gonna go with the molybdenum plant. Forget about the mothers having to range too far for food. If you ever fished on that cost you'd know it's teeming with fish, and other sea life. Clean up the heavy metal dumping, find out who took the bribes, and who handed them out, and shoot them. Then the next guys will think twice. The sea lions are truly the most lovable of all the ocean's creatures! Sisao Tresed "Ocean Alternatives Inc."

24/08/2009 1:02:13 p.m.

Chris wrote:

Could this at all be related to the Tetrodotoxin found in Auckland, I know hunger is a possibility but so many dieing at once would have to be more than a coincidence?