Truck with shark meat intercepted

CEBU, Philippines - Almost 500 kilos of thresher shark meat was intercepted by authorities Wednesday night in Naga City on board an Isuzu truck reportedly owned by a company that makes tempura and fish balls.

The Capitol’s Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force seized a total of 170 packs of shark meat from the truck with license plate numbers YKC-424. They also seized 48 huge boxes of a fish locally known as “barla”. The meat is now impounded at the Capitol.

Those arrested were identified as truck driver Allan Empinado, 45, from Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, and his truck boys Gerry Atillo, 24, and Daniel Amistoso, 61, both from Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City. According to text on the side of the truck the company specialized in tempura, squid balls, squid rolls, kikiam and fish balls.

The three are now under the custody of Naga police.

Loy Anthony Madrigal, the team leader of the task force, said his group conducted a highway inspection around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday to respond to reports that illegal fish was being transported when they encountered the white truck heading north.

“Duna daw i-transport nga mga ilegal nga isda nga gikan sa South. Among gipangutana gikan daw ni sila’g Dumaguete. But pag-check namo sa likod naay mga karga nga barla ug gikarne-karne na nga mga sharks. Himuon daw ni og fishball, tempura,” he said.

It was fish expert Gary Cases who confirmed the meat was thresher shark, Madrigal added. These weighed a total of 467 kilos.  Madrigal said the documents the three presented only showed a permit for the barla.

The task force has already referred the matter to the Provincial Legal Office who will determine what action will be taken against the violators.

Madrigal said those arrested, as well as the owner of the company, may face violation of the Philippines Fisheries Code of 1998

The law prohibits the fishing or taking of rare, threatened or endangered species as listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, an international agreement between governments that ensures the protection of endangered animals.

Violators will be punished by imprisonment of 12 years to twenty 20 years and/or a fine of P120,000 and forfeiture of the catch and the cancellation of fishing permit.

The new Police Regional Office-7 Director Chief Superintendent Prudencio Bañas, who was at the Capitol yesterday for the 116th Independence Day anniversary, was able to inspect the truck of shark meat. He said that one of his thrusts aside from curbing illegal drugs is the protection of eco-tourism.

“I’m very dismayed. Kanang mga thresher sharks are one of the very reasons nga tourists come here for diving. It’s just a warning sa atong mga kababayan nga protektahan nato kining atong mga natural resources otherwise kung mawala ni wala na ring turista. Magtulong-tulongan po tayo, kasama ninyo kami sa inyong kampanya na matigil natin to,” he told reporters.

The FREEMAN was able to reach the company that owned the truck, but the person who answered the phone, who identified herself as a certain Eva Torreon, said they have no idea about the incident and could not comment. —/BRP (FREEMAN)