05 Jan 2007 - Manila, the Philippines – A fishing vessel carrying tonnes of illegally caught fish was seized by Filipino officials off the waters of the strictly protected Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park in the Sulu Sea. After giving chase, the vessel, with 30 Chinese fishermen on board, was stopped and brought to port.

Tonnes of high-value fish, including live grouper, red snapper and 1,200 endangered Napoleon wrasse (also known as humphead wrasse) were discovered in the vessel’s hold. The collection, possession, transport or trade of this wrasse is illegal under Philippine law — the possession of a single fish can carry a fine of US$2,400 as well as a prison term of between 12 and 20 years. The species is also listed under Appendix II of the Convention for the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which means that international trade is regulated.

WWF-Philippines is calling for immediate action to be taken against the poachers.

“In a country such as the Philippines where 90 per cent of our fish stocks are gone, and where half the population depends on seafood as their primary source of protein, illegal fishing can be catastrophic,” says WWF-Philippines CEO Lory Tan.

“How many continue to buy or catch fish illegally and destructively, snatching both food and the future away from our children? How long will it take to replace the marine life until our fisheries become productive again?”

Tubbataha’s reefs form the core of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, hailed as one of the world’s most productive ecosystems that generate more than two percent of the planet’s fish stocks and feed 35 million people yearly.

According to WWF, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a global problem. It occurs in virtually all fisheries, and is thought to account for up to 30 per cent of total catches in some important fisheries. It can also lead to their total collapse.

“Poachers are not just decimating valuable fish populations,” adds Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Global Marine Programme, “they are also killing tens of thousands of marine animals as bycatch and destroying delicate habitats through their unregulated use of damaging, and sometimes illegal fishing practices”.

The crew of the Chinese vessel detained in the Philippines is currently facing a host of charges, from illegal entry into Tubbataha to violation of both the Philippines’ Fisheries Code and Wildlife Act.

According to WWF, this is not the first time Chinese fishermen intruded into Tubbataha’s rich waters. In Palawan alone, almost 600 Chinese have been arrested for illegal fishing over the last nine years. Some vessels were apprehended repeatedly. Many more were never caught.

“If the Chinese want to buy our fish, they must follow our laws,” says Tan. “They cannot simply come here and harvest what little we have left. Rather than poach our fish, they should help us invest in new spawning technology and support serious conservation.”

END NOTES:

• Tubbataha is a reef ecosystem made up of two atolls located in the middle of the Sulu Sea. The reefs lie on the Cagayan Ridge, a line of extinct underwater volcanoes which starts from the north at the Sultana Shoal and ends in the south at the San Miguel Islands. It is located 92 nautical miles south-east of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and 80 nautical miles southwest of Cagayancillo, the municipality that exercises political jurisdiction over it. It was proclaimed as a National Marine Park on August 11, 1988 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1993, in recognition of its outstanding universal value in terms of marine life species diversity and richness.
Gregg Yan, Media Officer / WWF-Philippines