SPIDER fighting may seem like an innocent game children play, but environment officials and the police are serious in stopping this traditional game which they say could have far reaching ecological impact.
Around 186 ‘fighting’ spiders wrapped in plastic and placed in a wooden box with a glass cover were turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) by policemen after an operation in Mambaling Elementary School yesterday.
During the turnover, PO3 Lester Dajao said their operation will start a stronger wildlife laws enforcement in the city together with the Protected Area and Wildlife Division (PAWD) of the DENR.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to catch the owner of these spiders but we will conduct further investigation and follow up operation to stop the trading in some schools,” Dajao said.
Dajao added the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 plans to conduct a series of operations in various private and public schools, parks, and markets to minimize, if not totally eliminate the abuse of wildlife including the illegal trade of spiders, birds, among others.
“Spiders play an important role in our terrestrial ecosystem as they are responsible for the control of the insect and pest population such as house dust mites and bugs,” said DENR 7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo Montejo in a statement.
He explained that spiders, which are mostly mistaken as insects, actually belong to the class of Arachnids such as scorpions. They usually hunt for insects as its food.
Spiders are usually sold in schools for spider fighting. The increasing demand of these spiders will result to lesser spiders that eat the insect population.
“These spiders turned over by the CCPO will be sorted out according to its species and right after the identification, they will be immediately sent to the wild, most probably in the Cebu City Protected Landscape (CCPL),” said PAWD chief Ariel Rica.
According to the Republic Act 9147 or otherwise known as the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, anyone who is involved illegal trading and selling of any wildlife species shall be imprisoned for two years to four years and is mandated to pay a fine of P5,000 to P300, 000.00.
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