A 52-INCH green turtle was found dead in Moalboal, Cebu last Sunday, May 26, 2019.
A photo taken by Karl Epp, a dive shop owner in the southwestern town, showed the animal had gashes, which might have been caused by a pumpboat’s propeller.
It was the eighth dead turtle to be found in the area in the last two years, Epp said. Four had what looked like propeller injuries, one was stabbed and three were caught for food by a fisherman from the neighboring town of Alcantara, he said.
According to Police Corporal Dennis Sun, the duty police investigator of Moalboal Police Station, the turtle was hit in the head and its shell had scratches.
Niño Cabaron, an employee of the Department of Agriculture, had the turtle buried in one of the beaches in Basdiot.
Authorities have yet to identify the owner and the operator of the pump boat.
Epp said the private sector is looking forward to working with the local government unit (LGU) to find solutions to the problem.
He said the number of pump boats has increased dramatically over the last couple of years in Moalboal.
“We will work with the LGU to better protect the turtles and the marine environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 said the increase in tourism activities in Cebu’s waters is one of the reasons accidents like propeller injuries happen to marine animals like turtles.
Viernov Grefalde, head of the Enforcement Division of DENR 7, said his office already received reports of two more dead turtles in Alcantara and Oslob. There was also an incident in Pinamungajan where the captured turtle was released.
Grefalde said they are meeting with LGUs to discuss how to avoid accidents like these, especially during the summer when people are more active in the water.
Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, provides penalties for the killing of wildlife species. (MVG with HBL, WBS)