Suspected Vietnamese poachers nabbed

Authorities have seized shark fins and dead stingrays from 10 Vietnamese nationals who were caught poaching near Balabac in Palawan over the weekend.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) director Malcolm Sarmiento told The STAR that the Vietnamese poachers were caught in the act of laying their nets by government authorities in the vicinity of Mangsee Island.

When the crew of BFAR Patrol Boat 3002, which included elements of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), checked on the Vietnamese nationals’ vessel, a still undetermined number of shark fins and dead rays were found.

"The foreign poachers were apprehended around 6:40 a.m. Saturday," Sarmiento said. "Their boat, initially identified as Tan Long, and its crew were brought to Puerto Princesa yesterday."

Regional personnel of the BFAR began their inventory of the shark fins and dead rays yesterday, as soon as the Vietnamese vessel arrived at Puerto Princesa before noon. An initial report of the arrest of the foreign fishermen and inventory of the contraband is due today.

Sarmiento said the Vietnamese were brought to the hospital for check-up in line with procedures, around 5 p.m. Sunday. They will be charged in court initially for violation of Section 97 of the Fisheries Code of the Philippines.

"We are in the process of determining the species of the rays found in their vessel. If those are manta rays, then they may be charged also for violation of our wildlife trade laws because catching manta rays are prohibited under our laws," Sarmiento explained.

Poaching is rampant in the south because the area’s vast coastline makes it difficult for the maritime authorities to patrol.

Fish returned to sea

Meanwhile, the last batch of the 351 Napoleon wrasse, locally known as mameng, that were seized from Chinese vessel Hoi Wan three months ago has finally been returned into the sea.

On the night of March 29, the 104 remaining mameng were discharged from fish pens of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Sta. Lucia, Puerto Princesa and transported to the Tubbataha Reefs.

Having been secured in aerated saltwater tanks on the Minerva, the vessel of international conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the endangered fish species were released on the following morning.

"The release of the 104 mameng were done with the help of paying volunteers on the first non-diver trip of the season," said WWF president Loranzo Tan. "This time, there were no mortalities."

Out of the 351 Napoleon wrasse confiscated from the 28 Chinese nationals aboard the Hoi Wan on Dec. 21, 2006, one fish died while under rehabilitation at the BFAR facility.

During the release of the first batch of Napoleon wrasses on March 19 and 20, 125 fish died as a result of the decision to transport them in plastic bags with oxygen, Tan noted.

"It was a tragic mistake," pointed out Tan. A total of 121 Napoleon wrasse were released in the first event, which was spearheaded by the WWF, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap, and BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento.

All in all, a total of 225 Napoleon wrasse were returned to the sea.

"If any more Napoleon wrasse are confiscated from illegal fishing boats, we now know how to rehabilitate them, and get them back to the wild, safely," Tan said.

According to Tan, it was decided in January that the fish would be returned in late March when ocean conditions calmed down sufficiently to allow their safe transfer.

For three months, the Mameng were held for safekeeping and rehabilitation in sea cages of the BFAR in Palawan. The fish were guarded, fed and cared for by a composite team of security guards, student volunteers, BFAR staff and WWF team members.

Tan said it was decided in December that the first batch of mameng be placed "in constantly aerated saltwater tanks on deck" as "next best option" for their safe transport.

However, on the morning of March 19, Tan added that the transfer plan was suddenly overruled "by someone" at Sta. Lucia. The last-minute decision involved the placing of the mameng in oxygenated plastic bags stuffed in Styrofoam coolers.

"We were ready with tanks, compressors, water pumps and nets, but we did not have the fish. And ultimately, neither did we have the official mandate and responsibility for these fish," Tan recalled.

"This had never been done before. Everyone wanted the transfer to succeed. Although this decision was to result in tragic consequences, the intentions were good. Unfortunately, the suggestion was not a good idea."

Fifteen coolers, each containing 10 Napoleon wrasse, were loaded on the Minerva. But many of the fish were already floating on their sides as some already showed signs of stress, Tan said.

Consequently, as an intermediate measure, those fish that were clearly showing signs of decline were moved into the aerated tanks for intensive care. However, the fish did not show signs of improvement.

"We freshened the water in the coolers and pumped in additional oxygen in an attempt to cool the water and revive the fish. Nothing seemed to work. By sundown, the volunteers who had spent the last three months with these fish recommended that we immediately return them to Sta. Lucia – otherwise, we risked losing the entire cargo of 150 fish," Tan said.

Over 100 fish were reported to have died on the night of March 19.

Eventually, from the experience of the previous hours, the transport of the fish was done in accordance to the original plan. The first 60 fish were aboard the Minerva while the 61 fishes were aboard BFAR’s MCS 3002.

All the fish survived the trip, and swam directly down to the reef upon release, Tan said.

More than 2,000 fish, including Napoleon wrasse and assorted groupers, were confiscated from the Hoi Wan.

Within the month of April and by May, the WWF intends to continue the process of returning the remaining live fish seized from the Hoi Wan back to Tubbataha.

"Many painful lessons were learned throughout this process. As a result of all the efforts exerted over the last three-months, we now know how to keep them alive at rehab, and a safe transfer and release protocol has been established," Tan said.

"If poachers continue to trade illegally in protected species such as the Napoleon wrasse, we now have a legal protocol documented. This will guide future legal efforts throughout the country. If we arrest these fishing vessels, we know we can keep the fish alive. We also know we can take them back home safely."

Considered as among "the prized Chinese delicacies," the Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulates) is described as having a distinctive taste and soft-textured flesh.

It is commonly caught live in tropical reef areas at sizes ranging from 1 kilogram or less.

But according to the DA, the fish is still considered as "a juvenile" at the size of 1 kilogram, hence the potential danger of species’ extinction if fishing remains unabated.

"Mameng are large fish that grow up to 230 cm. and weigh as much as 190 kg. The average length is 70 cm. At maturity, they measure about 112 cm. in length. Napoleon, also called humphead wrasses, are known to survive for at least 30 years, and take around five to seven years to reach sexual maturity," according to the DA.

However, the catching and selling of Napoleon wrasses is banned worldwide. It is listed as an endangered species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.