Seized seashells turned over to fishing task force

CEBU, Philippines - The estimated P1 million worth of protected seashells that were confiscated from a shellcraft factory in Barangay Bakilid, Mandaue City, is now in the custody of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force.

Regional Trial Court Branch 8 Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul granted yesterday the request of Police Sr. Insp. Ricky Neron, team leader of the Criminal Investigation and Group, to turn over the items to the custody of the task force.

Hadjirasul in his order dated last yesterday said that the request of Neron is with the verbal conformity of Jeoffrey Merencillo, task force field team coordinator, on behalf of task force coordinator Jose Ma. Gastardo.

Another reason Hadjirasul cited in his order is that the court has no space to take custody and to safekeep the items prompting him to order the task force to take direct custody.

Armed with a search warrant, operatives of the CIDG-7 confiscated the seashells inside the compound of the Perlae Trading Corp. along A.S. Fortuna St. the other day.

The operation, which is in line with the provincial government’s Oplan Kalikasan program, is in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-7.

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office also assisted the police in the confiscation of the items yesterday.

The seized items include 201 helmet or king shells whose scientific name is Cassis cornuta, 580 medium helmet shells, 596 small helmet shells and 25 triton trumpet shells with the scientific name Charonia trinotis.

Authorities failed to arrest the subjects of the warrant, Maria Janice Roldan and Rudy del Valles, operators of the factory, who are allegedly in Manila.

Operator or owner of the factory will be charged for violating Fisheries Administrative Order 158 and Section 97 of Republic Act 8850 or the Phil. Fisheries Code of 1998. — (FREEMAN)