Showdown in HK as activists vow to block Cebu shark fins
Task Force Kalikasan and Provincial Capitol Chief security officer Loy Madrigal shows a sample of confiscated Blue shark fins loaded inside a 20 footer container van they seized at the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Despite playing host to the historic Shark Summit where conservationists pulled all the stops to heighten awareness on the need to protect these endangered marine species, large scale illegal trade of shark fins go on unabated in Cebu.
As if taunting the organizers and participants of the massive campaign, photos of the continued processing of shark fins in Lapu-Lapu City surfaced online and immediately went viral.
The provincial government’s Task Force Kalikasan had likewise intercepted at least five tons of shark fin that were bound for Hong Kong.
But the victory over the confiscation was short-lived. Conservationists were outraged over an order by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to release the five tons of shark fin, saying it was the height of “irresponsibility” to do so “without any thorough inspection of the shipment.”
Vince Cinches, Oceans campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines, said last Saturday’s incident underscores the need for policies to include a ban on shipment and transportation of shark fins and other shark products, regardless of species.
He said they are now coordinating with Hong Kong conservationist groups to block the shark fin shipment from Cebu.
Setback
Cinches said it’s possible the recent shipment would be mixed with fins from different shark species.
The intercepted shark fins were declared in the BFAR permits as blue shark (Prionace glauca), which is in the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Blue sharks are migratory fish that inhabit the deep waters of tropical and temperate oceans.
Cinche admitted that the release of the shark fins bound for Hong Kong is a setback in the campaign. “Cebu is leading the way, unfortunately, BFAR has not taken precautions,” Cinchez said.
“It should catch up with local initiatives. BFAR should now be more strict in issuing permits for shark catching and processing, he added.
Broker
Conservationists have been lobbying for a national legislation to protect all shark species.
The Cebu Provincial Board last Monday passed on second reading amendments to its 2012 Fisheries Ordinance to widen the scope of the ban on fishing, transporting or selling to cover “any shark species” and not just thresher sharks.
The ordinance still has to undergo third and final reading.
Last Saturday, a 20 foot container loaded with five tons of dried shark fins was apprehended near the Marcelo Fernan Bridge in Lapu-Lapu City, en route to the Cebu International Port.
The shipment’s broker is Haven Fashion International.
The truck driver presented shipment papers to the task force which initially deposited the truck in the Cebu International Convention Center.
Later on, BFAR officer Randolf Corrales said the shark fins belong to blue sharks and not the protected thresher sharks, and ordered its release.
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