MOALBOAL Mayor Inocentes Cabaron has issued a stern warning to tourists in that southern town, particularly those engaged in water activities, to refrain from disturbing marine life.
“We will not tolerate actions such as this,” said Cabaron after a video surfaced online last Monday, March 11, 2024, showing a female tourist touching a sea turtle while snorkeling in Panagsama Beach, one of Moalboal’s top tourist attractions.
The video concerned netizens. It gained 3.4 million views as of 8 p.m. Friday, March 15.
“Shoutout to the woman who can’t understand simple instructions. She’s been told numerous times that it’s ‘prohibited’ to touch the turtles. Not only did she touch them, she even pushed them,” the uploader under the TikTok handle “HomeWorkoutBasic” said in Pilipino.
The incident reportedly happened on Saturday, March 9.
“What happened to this woman? She’s not following the rules! She knows that touching sea turtles is not allowed,” another Facebook user said while sharing a SunStar Cebu post on the matter.
Moalboal officials have since issued a reminder to the public on Wednesday, March 13, emphasizing the importance of respecting marine wildlife and refraining from any activities that may cause harm to them.
Cabaron expressed disappointment saying that tourists are given a thorough briefing on proper conduct before participating in any activities.
“They are told not to touch the marine life because we have a local ordinance that [protects] them. It is disappointing that despite the briefing and regular reminders, incidents like this happen,” said Cabaron.
The mayor explained that there is a local ordinance in place that aims to protect marine life, and anyone caught violating the ordinance will be fined P2,500.
The ordinance entitled “Institutionalizing and regulating the conduct of snorkeling and island hopping activities within the Pescador Island, marine protected areas, and other coastal areas within the municipal waters, and the establishment of the environmental user’s fee system” was passed on Sept. 27, 2021.
Section 20 of the ordinance lists 13 violations, including a prohibition on touching any marine life.
Moalboal officials are now looking for the tourist and her local guide that was seen in the video.
“We treasure and protect our marine life because as a tourist town, it is a major factor in our economy. We will not tolerate actions such as this and we will ensure that the individual will be fined to discourage similar reckless actions,” Cabaron said.
Wild animals
Mylene Panuncial-Sadagnot, a marine biologist for 21 years and professor at Cebu Normal University, said turtles, like other wild animals, are not domesticated pets that go about and seek people’s attention at times.
She also said touching turtles could provoke them to retaliate or bite if they feel agitated by the presence of humans viewed as a potential threat.
Sadagnot observed that turtles in Moalboal do not necessarily reproduce there, as they primarily use the area as a feeding ground rather than a breeding site. Male turtles eventually migrate and depart for the breeding season, leaving female turtles accustomed to the environment.
She explained the situation is dangerous for both humans and turtles as it could result in bites or wounds that could be severe for humans; and secondly, turtles might be vulnerable to poaching.
Poaching refers to the illegal hunting, capturing, or killing of wildlife, typically for commercial gain.
Additionally, the waters of Moalboal are part of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, located between the islands of Cebu and Negros. It is the largest marine protected area in the Philippines, covering 5,182 square kilometers.
Under Presidential Proclamation 1234, which created the protected seascape in 1998, the entire Tañon Strait is protected, and all cetaceans are afforded full protection by local and national laws.
Cabaron said the local tourism office is moving to improve the quality of snorkeling guides by having them accredited by the Department of Tourism.
To achieve this, officials recently conducted a seven-day seminar for around 200 guides in Moalboal.
The seminar mainly focused on teaching proper protocols in handling guests and marine life. / KJF, CDF