Illicit trade of wildlife happening in open sea far from law enforcers' eyes

Since port areas have been under tighter security, illegal wildlife traders may have opted to do business in the open seas, according to wildlife officials.

 

“Ngayon, ang ginagawa 'dun na lang sila sa gitna ng dagat (nagkakaroon ng illegal na transaksyon),” Alex Marcaida, spokesperson at Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, was quoted as saying in a television report aired on GMA News TV’s “State of the Nation” on Friday.

 

“Nagbabantay na lang dun (ang mga foreigners sa dagat). Ang naghahatid na lang doon galing dito sa locals. ‘Yun ‘yung for the [illegal trade of] turtles. ‘Yun ‘yung takbo," he added.

 

But the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) director Theresa Mundita Lim said they have yet to verify these "allegations."

 

"Wala pang actual na report na naka-witness tayo ng ganun. Wala pang nahuli," Lim said in a phone interview with GMA News Online.

 

She noted though that the allegations arose from the possibility that the pangolins (scaly anteaters) earlier found in a Manila-bound vessel in Palawan as well as a Chinese vessel that ran aground on Tubbataha Reef were traded in the open seas. 

 

"Kaya nag-arise lang 'yan kasi tinitingnan natin lahat ng possibilities nitong trading ng pangolin," Lim said in a phone interview.

 

Marcaida said they also suspect open sea trading in the case of the pangolins. "Parang iniisip namin ngayon ito rin ang sistema dito sa pangolin,” he added.

 

As the trade goes unregulated, Marcaida noted that the illicit trade becomes a “lucrative industry” having Filipinos as middlemen for foreign traders.  

Lim noted that open sea trading is possible in the Philippines since its southeast Asian neighbors like Thailand are notorious for it.  

"Based 'dun sa reports sa international conferences, nangyayari na 'yun sa ibang countries. Hindi malayong mangyari sa atin rin," she said.

 

Lim said they would coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard to crack down on illegal traders. 

 

According to Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, threatened species like the Palawan pangolin cannot be traded or sold without the permission of the Environment Secretary or the Agriculture Secretary.

 

A violation would mean jail time of at least one month to a maximum of four years, and a fine between P500 to P300,000.  

As of February 2013, the PAWB has listed 207 threated animal species including Palawan flying fox, bearded pig, Philippine duck, Palawan hornbill, tamaraw, dugong, Philippine Eagle, Philippine Cockatoo, Sulu Hornbill, Cebu flowerpecker, and Philippine crocodile. —Rouchelle Dingalasan and Marc Jayson Cayabyab/KG, GMA News