Talisay City Bantay Dagat seizes corals

CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City Bantay Dagat seized at least 30 corals at 9:45 a.m. yesterday.

The team from the Fishermen Sea and Ecological Care (Fiseca), the city's “bantay dagat,” also arrested Alki Palas, 45, owner of the boat that carried the corals; Henry Borja, 41; Richie Garofel, 22, and Climaco Bardilas, all of who are from neighboring barangay Tanke.

Greg dela Torre, Fiseca chief, said they saw the confiscated corals, some of which were the size of a human head, being carried by the four fishermen on their pump boat on their way to Tanke.

The arrested men said the corals were from Pungaton Reef, a marine protected area in barangay Pooc.

This is the second tragedy that has befallen Pungaton in less than a month.

Late April, VG Shipping Lines, a roll-on roll-off ship, ran aground in this MPA.

No criminal case has been filed against the shipmaster, however.

And although Dela Torre said that the four fishermen violated the Fisheries Code of 1998, his office has not turned them over to the Talisay City Police Station.

Sec. 91 of the Philippine Republic Act 8550 or the Fisheries Code of 1998 (Ban on Coral Exploitation and Exportation) says that "It shall be unlawful for any person or corporation to gather, possess, sell or export ordinary precious and semi-precious corals, whether raw or in processed form, except for scientific or research purposes."

The suspects said they took those corals to be used as fence on their docking area in Tanke. – THE FREEMAN