05 Jan 2007 - Manila, the Philippines – A fishing vessel
carrying tonnes of illegally caught fish was seized by Filipino
officials off the waters of the strictly protected Tubbataha
Reef National Marine Park in the Sulu Sea. After giving
chase, the vessel, with 30 Chinese fishermen on board, was
stopped and brought to port.
Tonnes of high-value fish, including live grouper, red
snapper and 1,200 endangered Napoleon wrasse (also known
as humphead wrasse) were discovered in the vessel’s hold.
The collection, possession, transport or trade of this wrasse
is illegal under Philippine law — the possession of a single
fish can carry a fine of US$2,400 as well as a prison term
of between 12 and 20 years. The species is also listed under
Appendix II of the Convention for the International Trade
of Endangered Species (CITES), which means that international
trade is regulated.
WWF-Philippines is calling for immediate action to be taken
against the poachers.
“In a country such as the Philippines where 90 per cent
of our fish stocks are gone, and where half the population
depends on seafood as their primary source of protein, illegal
fishing can be catastrophic,” says WWF-Philippines CEO Lory
Tan.
“How many continue to buy or catch fish illegally and destructively,
snatching both food and the future away from our children?
How long will it take to replace the marine life until our
fisheries become productive again?”
Tubbataha’s reefs form the core of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine
Ecoregion, hailed as one of the world’s most productive
ecosystems that generate more than two percent of the planet’s
fish stocks and feed 35 million people yearly.
According to WWF, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
is a global problem. It occurs in virtually all fisheries,
and is thought to account for up to 30 per cent of total
catches in some important fisheries. It can also lead to
their total collapse.
“Poachers are not just decimating valuable fish populations,”
adds Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Global Marine Programme,
“they are also killing tens of thousands of marine animals
as bycatch and destroying delicate habitats through their
unregulated use of damaging, and sometimes illegal fishing
practices”.
The crew of the Chinese vessel detained in the Philippines
is currently facing a host of charges, from illegal entry
into Tubbataha to violation of both the Philippines’ Fisheries
Code and Wildlife Act.
According to WWF, this is not the first time Chinese fishermen
intruded into Tubbataha’s rich waters. In Palawan alone,
almost 600 Chinese have been arrested for illegal fishing
over the last nine years. Some vessels were apprehended
repeatedly. Many more were never caught.
“If the Chinese want to buy our fish, they must follow
our laws,” says Tan. “They cannot simply come here and harvest
what little we have left. Rather than poach our fish, they
should help us invest in new spawning technology and support
serious conservation.”
END NOTES:
• Tubbataha is a reef ecosystem made up of two atolls located
in the middle of the Sulu Sea. The reefs lie on the Cagayan
Ridge, a line of extinct underwater volcanoes which starts
from the north at the Sultana Shoal and ends in the south
at the San Miguel Islands. It is located 92 nautical miles
south-east of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and 80 nautical
miles southwest of Cagayancillo, the municipality that exercises
political jurisdiction over it. It was proclaimed as a National
Marine Park on August 11, 1988 and inscribed as a UNESCO
World Heritage in 1993, in recognition of its outstanding
universal value in terms of marine life species diversity
and richness.
Gregg Yan, Media Officer / WWF-Philippines
