Long criticized for lax enforcement, this week Philippine authorities arrested twelve Vietnamese fishermen who were poaching endangered marine turtles, black corals and Napoleon wrasses in southern Philippine waters.

The joint operatives of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) apprehended the fishermen who were onboard a Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel.  The turtles, black corals and Napoleon wrasses are listed as endangered and/or threatened species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

BFAR is now preparing all the necessary documents for filing of administrative and criminal cases against the poachers.

Source article can be found here.

Murray W. Camp/MASNA ILOC rep.