BFAR: Do not disturb baby sharks in Cebu waters

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) called on the public not to disturb juvenile blacktip sharks that were recently sighted in the waters off Santander town, Cebu.

Cebu Provincial Fishery Office officer-in-charge Edgardo Delfin explained that the sharks were near the shore because they were searching for food, an occurrence that usually takes place during February and March.

“People should not be afraid. The presence of these sharks does not pose danger especially to people swimming there. They do not bite unless they are threatened or harmed,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by BFAR Region 7.

Delfin added that the sharks will swim away once they sense the presence of people.

The BFAR said the sharks were spotted near a marine sanctuary in Barangay Pasil, which is closed off to any economic or fishing activities to protect biodiversity.

Some tourists in Cebu flocked to the shores of Barangay Pasil to catch a glimpse of the baby sharks, according to a Wednesday report on GMA News TV’s “Quick Response Team.”

Residents said they had been spotting the sharks since Sunday. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News