THE Coast Guard Substation (CGSS) in San Remigio town, Cebu found an illegal shipment of undetermined species of live corals at the Hagnaya Port on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.

The corals were found inside five Styrofoam boxes onboard Island Ventures III that came from Cawayan Port in Masbate City.

CGSS San Remigio, CGIGCV personnel, and Coast Guard Station Northern Cebu coordinated with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7 to identify and properly turn over the confiscated items.

On July 14, 2021, Municipal Agriculture Office San Remigio representative Aida Mamanao, San Remigio Fisheries Technician Alvin Morata, BFAR 7 personnel, and PO2 Jefferson Guisisana of the San Remigio Police Station said the boxes contained undetermined species of live corals, which is considered illegal since it violates Section 96 of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 10654).

The estimated market value and the specific kind of species of the corals are yet to be determined.

The Coast Guard turned over the confiscated items to BFAR 7 and escorted them going to the agency’s Multi-species hatchery in Sitio San Roque, Kawit, Medellin town, Cebu. (PR, NRC)