DARRELL BLATCHLEY first caught the attention of Davao City residents and local media when he opened D’Bone Collector Museum in Barangay Bucana.
But it was his findings on the cause of death of a juvenile Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) that he became the draw of international press and conservationists.
The animal died a day after beaching in Barangay Cadunan in the municipality of Mabini in Compostela Valley. Recovered from the belly of the 15.4-foot sea creature were almost 40 kilograms of plastics—the most the marine biologist had ever seen inside one of those.
“Plastic was just bursting out of its stomach,” Blatchley, who has conducted several marine mammal post-mortems, told National Geographic. “We pulled out the first bag, then [a] second. By the time we hit 16 sacks—on top of the plastic, snack bags and big tangles of nylon ropes, I was like, ‘Seriously?’”
He could not believe what he saw. “The plastic in some parts was so dense, it was almost becoming calcified; almost like a solid brick,” the New York Times quoted him as saying. “It had been there for so long, it had started to compact.”
After finding the cause of the whale’s death, the marine biologist wrote in a Facebook post: “It’s disgusting. Action must be taken by the government against those who continue to treat waterways and oceans as dumpsites.”
Plastic-driven economy
IN the last 10 years, Blatchley reported that 62 whales and dolphins have already died in the vicinity of Davao City. At least 47 of those pointed to plastic products and their variants as culprits.
“It’s clear that we need to stop plastic at the source,” the biologist pointed out. “Not only is plastic killing marine wildlife; it’s also killing us as well.”
In a report released a few years ago, the Ocean Conservancy singled out the Philippines as one of the five countries from where the majority of plastic originates. Also on the list were China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
“As rapidly developing economies, [some] countries are now passing through a typical stage of economic growth, as consumer demand for disposable products grows more rapidly than the waste-management infrastructure,” the report said.
No wonder, plastics are “now part of the Filipinos’ daily life,” to quote Senior Environmental Management Specialist Juvinia P. Serafin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau.
Plastics come in the form of acrylics, food containers and packages, utensils, sachet packs, kitchenware, toys and furniture, among others. But the most common of all are plastic bags, which British Prime Minister Theresa May dubbed as “the greatest environmental challenge facing the world.”
Though more often used only once, plastic bags can’t be recycled. Other similar pollutants include single-use plastics such as straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging materials.
The country’s so-called sachet economy has also contributed to the proliferation of plastics. Products sold in single-use sachets include instant coffee, soap, shampoo, cooking oil, food seasoning and toothpaste. Once they’re used, they are just thrown away.
“Plastic, particularly those for single-use packaging, has greatly contributed to the degradation of the environment,” deplored Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu. “Plastic pollution continues to poison our oceans and injure marine life. When not properly disposed, they clog waterways and cause flooding.”
Efforts recognized
RECIPIENT of the Datu Bago award (the highest given to Davao City residents), Blatchley couldn’t agree more. That was one of the reasons he posted in his Facebook account photos of a clogged canal in Barangay 37-D, which everyone can see as they visit his bone museum.
One netizen commented: “You always complain; why don’t you clean it yourself?”
That sort of challenged the biologist, and so he did clean the waterway together with his two staff members. He again posted in his page what transpired with a caption: “SERIOUSLY, Davao?” as the post went viral.
The local government took notice of his deed, and so the city engineer’s office in the Davao capital joined him in the cleanup effort.
Addressing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and her constituents, Blatchley said that as an American, he is just “a guest” in their locale.
“Davao has been my home for 24 years [now],” he said. “I love it here, [and] for that very reason, I am a public servant doing my part to make the Philippines cleaner and better.
“If you are a guest and the host’s house is on fire or flooding, is it not right to inform them and help?” the marine biologist rhetorically asked.
Truth is, when a canal becomes full of plastic, water cannot flow. “That causes flooding,” Blatchley emphasized. “[It harbors] diseases such as leptospirosis. The flooding causes damage to roads and homes. [When that happens], the government has to repair the roads, [which cost] taxpayer’s money.”
“It’s not the fault of the plastics,” he went on to say. “It is caused by the lazy, undisciplined person who dropped [them]. We blame plastics when in reality, it’s us human beings [who are solely responsible for this dilemma].“
The biologist waxed philosophical: “A bullet cannot kill without the human behind the gun. [The manner we] dispose our trash now affects everything.”
Museum owner, curator
BLATCHLEY opened D’Bone Collector Museum to the public on January 27, 2012. In the beginning, the space it occupied was only 250 square meters, housing the preserved remains of more than 150 specimens.
Today, the museum occupies three floors, with more than 750 sq m of displays, and over 6,500 specimens on display, thus making it the largest collection of its kind in the Philippines.
“We strive to continuously raise the bar on quality,” he told this author. “Additions and new specimens are added often. Through our collection, we help educate our visitors on the importance of these species when they were still alive, and how to save [the remainder of their kind].”
The museum is on top of TripAdvisor’s list for the best places to visit in Davao, and fifth for all of Mindanao.
“We want the museum to become the ‘Smithsonian of Southern Philippines,’ and will continue to raise the standards [for curation in this side of the country],” the American biologist declared. займ на карту без отказа с 18 лет
Image credits: Jimbo Albano, Darrell Blatchley