Fishermen dump hundreds of dead stingrays on Mexico beach – Local mayor says fishermen dumped stingrays because they couldn’t get a good price for them

17 July 2013 (BBC News) – Hundreds of dead stingrays have been found on a beach in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz. The stingrays – more than 250 in total – were spotted on Chachalacas beach near the town of Ursulo Galvan on Tuesday. Some locals reported seeing fishermen dumping the rays on the beach. Veracruz’s Environment Minister Victor Alvarado Martinez has asked federal authorities for help investigating the incident. Local mayor Jose Martin Verdero said it was “possible that the rays had got caught in nets” used by Chachalacas fishermen trying to catch other fish. But residents said they had been dumped after the fishermen did not get the price they wanted for them. Chachalacas fisherman Jaime Vazquez said that in his more than three decades in the job he had ever seen any of his colleagues dump dead fish on the beach. He told local media that any unwanted fish would have been returned to the sea while still alive.

Hundreds of dead stingrays found on Mexico beach

VERACRUZ, Mexico, 16 July 2013 (Associated Press) – Mexican authorities are investigating the death of at least 250 stingrays found on a beach of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. Residents and visitors first spotted the dead rays Tuesday on the Chachalacas beach in the town of Ursulo Galvan and posted photos on social media. Ursulo Galvan Mayor Martin Verdejo says witnesses told authorities fishermen dumped the stingrays on the beach because they weren’t able to get a good price for them. Food vendor Adriana Loredo says she was at the beach when she saw fishermen dumping the rays from their nets. Chopped stingray wings are commonly served as snacks in Veracruz restaurants.

250 dead stingrays found on Mexican beach