Abigail Kwok, The Inquirer 19 Feb 10;
MANILA, Philippines – The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the Philippines and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have announced a P100,000 reward to anyone who could give information that would lead to the identification and arrest of those responsible for the death of a whale shark in Batangas City early this week.
The WWF posted its hotline on its website, (0917)883-4207.
At the same time, the WWF condemned the attack against the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), which was discovered by divers in Barangay (village) Kambing on Monday.
Locally known as “butanding,” the whale shark was found by foreign and local divers de-finned and fighting for its life.
“Its twin pairs of dorsal and pectoral fins were neatly and deliberately sliced off – the soft, white flesh glistening in the morning rays. Rope and knife-marks were evident all over its tail – mercifully too thick to cut through,” the WWF said.
“Sadly, its wounds were too great – and the shark, nicknamed Tingloy Baby, died during the night. The incident came right after the conclusion of the third Convention on Migratory Species for Sharks, held in Manila from 8 to 12 February. The talks were held to safeguard shark populations in the Indo-Pacific region. Tingloy Baby was laid to rest in Caban cove. It neither died alone nor in vain,” the WWF added.
The WWF, citing Bantay Dagat units from Mabini town, said that local fishermen from Lemery town could be the possible culprits.
The WWF said that for several days reported that for several days, fishing vessels were spotted on the shores of Mabini. The vessels were reportedly equipped with powerful lights and sometimes drifted as close as 300 meters to the shore.
“WWF condemns the perpetrators of this illegal act,” said WWF-Philippines Conservation Programmes Vice-President Joel Palma.
“This is a real eye-opener, for it proves that the slaughter of endangered species – even one as big as a ‘butanding’ – can still take place if we let our guards down. The public and private sectors must come together to refine and polish current conservation mechanisms,” he added.
The WWF said that whale sharks were often hunted in the country, particularly in Bohol, Misamis Oriental, and Sorsogon. Shark fins and meat, the WWF said, were usually exported to the countries of China, Hongkong and Taiwan.
These were usually sold for around $8 or P360 per kilogram. Meanwhile, dried shark fins were valued at $800 or P36,000 per kilogram.
BFAR said that at least 200 whale sharks were slaughtered in the country in 1997 alone.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified whale sharks as vulnerable. These are also protected by laws under Republic Act 8550 and Fisheries Administrative Order 193.
Anyone caught in possession or slaughtering of a whale shark could be penalized for a maximum jail term of four years, with a fine of around P10,000, as well as the cancellation of his fishing licenses.
The WWF said that whale sharks that were accidentally caught in nets or other fishing gears should be released immediately.
