TWENTY dead thresher sharks and 70 pails of assorted fish were seized Wednesday night from a fishing boat in the coast of Hagnaya, San Remigio, northern Cebu.
Thresher sharks abound in the waters of northern Cebu, and sightings of them lure divers to Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan.
A kilo of thresher shark can command a price of P1,200. Its fin is priced at P1,500 per kilo.
A 20-foot thresher shark can weigh as much as 500 kilos but the ones seized from the fishing boat were smaller.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 said it will file charges against the owner of the fishing boat, its captain and 13 crew members.
In a statement, DENR 7 spokesperson Eddie Llamedo said that the boat owner and crew of RB Sweet Angel will be charged with violation of Republic Act 7586, or the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (Nipas) Act and Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act.
Joint operatives from DENR 7, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), PNP Regional Public Safety Battalion arrested boat captain Wilson Forrosuelo and his 13 crew members after 20 dead thresher sharks were found loaded in their boat.
Also recovered were 70 buckets of assorted fish.
Also to be charged are boat owner Alma Aremas and crew members Lucinio Artajo, Pedro Buytrago, Jammee Artajo, Carlito Nasis, Mario Chapa, Denden Pangue, Rosjo Baldesis, Romie Ebares, Johnrey Delina, Kevin Cordero, Isidro Solmayor, Jason Hugasan and Edwin Baira.
Llamedo said the fishing boat was towed from San Remegio to Calatrava in Negros Occidental as custodial center in the case that it would be used as evidence during the filing of cases.
The DENR 7 legal division is also preparing the judicial affidavits needed in the filing of cases, Llamedo said.
Llamedo said each thresher shark cost about P1,200 per kilo and one fish bucket is valued at P2,400.
Shark fins also cost P1,500 per kilo, he said.
Violation of the provisions of the Nipas law carries a jail term of one to six years and a fine of P5,000 to P500,000.
Violating RA 9147 carries a penalty of imprisonment of six to 12 years and a fine of P100,000 to P1 million.
Llamedo urged LGUs situated within the Tanon Strait Protected Seascape (TSPS) to strengthen their measures to prevent illegal fishermen from entering their shores.
He said DENR, BFAR, PNP and the Cebu Provincial Government will continue patrolling the seas and monitor the TSPS.
