Stricter policy sought

CEBU, Philippines - While the rest of the world celebrated the Oceans Day and the International Coral Trial Day last Sunday and Monday, respectively, baby sharks were reportedly being traded in Daanbantayan, Cebu.

“This is a sad day for our ocean,  as we just celebrated the World Oceans Day, and then here we are - Cebuanos who have been benefiting from sharks in terms of healthy ecosystem and tourism money, killing continuously the goose who laid the golden egg,” said Greenpeace Southeast Asia ocean campaigner Vince Cinches.

It was Cinches who posted on his Facebook account photo grabs of what he believed were baby guitar sharks, which were being sold openly in Daanbantayan Public Market. The two photos were grabbed from a video taken by one Denver Monteverde last Saturday, who posted the same on his Facebook account.

“This is a big slap on the face of our local legislators who just passed a policy to protect important marine species in Cebu,” said Cinches.

Earlier, following reports of sharks still being sold in local markets, the Capitol’s anti-illegal fishing task force had warned local fishers from catching and selling endangered species.

Loy Madrigal of the said task force even said they would post pictures of endangered and threatened species including sharks in public places like ports and markets to inform the fishers and the vendors that they would go to jail if they are caught.

Ironically, Monteverde’s video caught that picture of endangered sharks stuck in a pillar, a few inches from where the two baby sharks were being displayed, while meters away a vendor was carrying a shark for sale.

With local warnings seemed unheeded by those involved, Cinches called for a “stronger national policy to protect sharks.”

Cinches said many people, even legislators, are not aware of the importance of sharks, apart from their tourism value. “A number of shark species are apex predators, and therefore help in maintaining the balance of the marine ecosystem. Their survival has been threatened due to the growing demand for shark’s fin soup and other shark products,” he said.

He, however, said that not all sharks are endangered, but due to poor regulation of the country’s fishing industry, a large population of sharks have become victims of illegal finning, Interpol’s Environmental Crime Program to warn companies, involved in this illegal trade, that they can be implicated in a crime.

Cinches said being the center of the Coral Triangle, the Philippines, “should remember that if sharks disappear all of us will be affected.” For a start, the local government units must step up and do their part in protecting their marine resources, he said.

For her part, Anna Oposa, Co-Founder of Save Philippine Seas, said there should be a “stronger move” to protect the sharks in Daanbantayan especially that the town is slowly becoming a dive destination because of its sharks.

“We need to make a stronger move to protect sharks in Daanbantayan because the area is known for shark diving.  Policies need to be enforced and formulated, and locals need to be informed about the sharks’ ecological and economic significance,” she said.

Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro, who saw the alleged activity on Facebook, said that although they could tell if the sharks being sold in their markets were endangered, he would still request the local council to pass an ordinance prohibiting the catching of all kinds of sharks.

“Ako na’ng gipatan-aw sa akong staff, and those were the same sharks: nurse sharks which is di ma-determine if endangered species. This is not in the post (sticker of endangered species). But just the same, as a cause of action, I will ask the SB (Sangguniang Bayan) to pass an ordinance prohibiting the catching of all kinds of sharks para clear-cut na,” the mayor said.

Corro is also scheduled to meet all fisherfolk in his town on Friday for them to be educated on the laws on environment. -/FPL (FREEMAN)