Town mayor wants shark catching law

CEBU, Philippines - Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Augusto Corro wants the town to craft an ordinance that punishes the catching of sharks for their meat.

If approved, the ordinance would cover not just the endangered thresher sharks, which recently drew public attention after it was learned that their meat was allegedly used as ingredient for tempura and fishballs.

Last Friday, he gathered 120 local fishing community members to educate them about environmental laws.

Last week, the Capitol's Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force seized in the City of Naga almost 500 kilos of thresher shark meat on board a truck that reportedly belongs to a company that makes fish food products.

It was also reported that shark meat is being used as ingredient by three fish food companies, which allegedly have no knowledge on the existing provincial ordinance, as alternative for fish known as barla.

Following the reports, the Cebu Provincial Board called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 to launch campaigns aimed to raise awareness on the vulnerability of marine species like the thresher sharks.s

In an approved resolution authored by Board Member Arleigh Sitoy, the PB requested DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo Montejo to start information campaigns in Cebu's coastal barangays regarding the effects of catching juvenile sharks.

In particular, DENR-7 was asked to show the public   images of shark species that should not be hunted.

Sitoy said capturing and selling of sharks, which are listed as vulnerable and endangered, is prohibited under the province's Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ordinance 2012.

He said some fishermen are unaware of the existing ordinance and lack information on identifying whether a particular specie of shark is banned or not.

"(This is) to prevent confusion among fisherfolks and educate them on responsible fishing," read Sitoy's resolution.

Gary Cases, thresher shark research and conservation project collaborator, is calling on the public to stop the hunting of endangered and vulnerable marine species such as sharks.

He said, in an interview with The FREEMAN, that people should not wait for a certain specie of shark to be endangered.

"Why do we have to insist on eating sharks nga naa may tuna (when we can eat tuna instead)? Sharks create enjoyment more than fish balls. Kung ma-endangered ang sharks then daghan pod og mawad-ag trabaho (many would lose their jobs)," he said. — (FREEMAN)