Alarm over shark hunting in Philippines

Yahoo News 10 Apr 08;

Shark hunting in the Philippines has led to a drastic drop in the numbers of the creatures, authorities said Thursday, despite efforts to limit the slaughter.

The once-abundant population of thresher sharks (alopias vulpinus) off the coast of Batangas city, 80 kilometres (49 miles) south of Manila, has hit "vulnerable" levels due to widespread hunting, said local tourism chief Cecil Rosales.

"The situation is now very alarming," Rosales told AFP, adding local fishermen consider the sharks as "pests" who destroy their nets and pounce on their catch.

While there is no large-scale fin trading locally, Rosales said shark meat is being openly sold in public markets in Batangas and the nearby city of Lucena.

She said the local tourism office, along with international conservation groups, had tried to intervene but the lack of specific legislation banning the trade is slowing down their efforts.

"We will keep on monitoring the situation, but the thresher shark population is very vulnerable," she said.

Provincial vice governor Mark Leviste said he has ordered an investigation into the trade and that a special task force was to be formed to tackle the problem.

A report by the local group First Philippine Conservation Inc. said at least 40 thresher sharks have been killed since December in coastal villages around Batangas city.

Thresher sharks traditionally feed on crustaceans and sardines and can grow up to 10 feet long but are not considered dangerous to humans.

According to the UK-based Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Group, the population worldwide has fallen by a staggering 75 percent over the past five years.

The sharks mature late and a female takes up to 13 years to reproduce.

"This is a a very, very alarming situation," the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Simon Oliver, a visiting specialist from the Thresher Shark Research group, as saying.