Naga fishers cut dolphin for consumption

CEBU, Philippines - Local fishers who were caught in the act of cutting into pieces a dolphin in the bay of barangay Inuburan, City of Naga, yesterday morning scampered away after barangay officials and sea wardens who arrived to arrest them.

Barangay Councilman Martin Panilag said one of their tanods informed them that a baby dolphin was being cut to pieces by local fishermen.

However, when Panilag’s team reached the area, the culprits ran away and took with them their cut dolphin meat. Panilag said he saw the crowd of fishermen enjoying something, but before he could go near them, all fishermen fled in a hurry.

“Nagtan-aw ko alegre man unya iyahay og bitbit sa hiniwaan sa isda mao diay to ilang gihiwa-hiwa,” he said.

The group, however, left the lower part of the dolphin which was then rescued and buried by sea warden Moises Catuday.

Panilag said based on the report he received, it was one “Jong-Jong,” a local fisherman, who saw the dolphin floating in the shallow parts of the sea off barangay Tuyan, Naga.

The dolphin was estimated to weigh 20 kilos and was about one and half meter long. It had bruises in its head believed to have been caused by the big waves from the other day’s Typhoon Ramon.

Locals also believed that it could have been hit by the propeller of one of the boats that frequent the area, considering that there are a few jetties in the city.

SPO1 Rodolfo Baga said based on their initial investigation the mammal was 20 kilos according to the reports of the people who saw it.

Cecil Canonigo of the City Agriculture reminded the residents that dolphins are among the world’s endangered species, hence, it is illegal to capture them.

Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act states that the country’s wildlife resources and their habitats should be conserved for sustainability.

Panilag could also not identify the fishermen since they were not from the barangay. (FREEMAN)