A SHIPMENT of bud-yong (cassis or helmet shell) and tambuli (trumpet or charonia) was seized by authorities yesterday.
A joint team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 7 and the PNP Maritime Police served a search warrant to Lorenzo Shipping Lines at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City.
NBI 7 Supervising Agent Rey Villordon said the warrant was issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 16 Judge Sylva Aguirre-Paderanga for alleged violation of Section 97 of Republic Act (RA) 8550 (Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998) against Wendell Desucatan and/or persons in charge of Lorenzo Shipping Corp. on a container van suspected to contain endangered marine products, particularly “budyong.”
Inventory
Lawyer Chad Estella, Penro chief, said they sought the assistance of the NBI 7 after they received a tip about the shipment.
He said the shipment could be worth P2 million.
He said that according to their informant, the shipment also includes pawikan (marine turtle) but they have yet to open all the cartons from the container vans used by Lorenzo Shipping to transport these from Zamboanga City.
Estella said the seized shells will be taken to the Balili Beach Resort in the City of Naga for inventory and storage before they file a report to the court, which issued the warrant.
Engineer Flor Bulang, chief of the Fisheries Inspection and Quarantine Service, identified the marine products as budyong and tambuli and told NBI and Penro that these are banned items.
Bulang said any person found in possession of or trading these endangered marine animals will face a fine of between P500 and P5,000 or imprisonment of six months to four years, or both, at the discretion of the court.
Consignee
Bulang said they cannot determine the value of the shipment because there is no market for these shells as there are banned items.
Wieland Mayuga, Lorenzo Shipping operations supervisor, said a certain Windel Desucatan claimed to be the shipper of the cargo.
But when Mayuga called Desucatan, the woman who answered said they don’t know anyone by that name.
NBI Supervising Agent Rey Villordon said Lorenzo Shipping management will be included in the investigation.
Meanwhile, Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, 4th district) yesterday said his bill amending RA 8550 was passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate the other day.
Salimbangon said the European Commission had requested the Philippines to increase its penalties as a way to stop rampant illegal fishing within the country’s waters, or the country will not be anymore allowed to export fish and other products to the European market.
New rates
The old fine was P10,000, but the new law provides the following higher penalties for violations in international waters: P2 million to P9 million for a small catch; P10 million to P15 million for a medium catch; P20 million for a catch weighing 150 gross tons up to 749 gross tons; and P25 million to P45 million for a catch weighing 750 gross tons and above.
The congressman said the fines for violators in domestic waters are P50,000 to P100,000 for a small catch; P150,000 to P500,000 for a medium scale; and P1 million to P5 million for a large catch.
“The impact overall will be more beneficial to our marginal fisher folks. There will be limited commercial fishing within the territorial boundaries of municipal waters and will allow the fish to propagate more. This will mean more catch for our marginal fishermen,” he said.