Daanbantayan debunks reports of illegal shark hunting in Malapascua

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The local government of Daanbantayan has debunked reports on social media alleging rampant illegal hunting of thresher sharks around Malapascua Island.

The municipality on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, issued an official statement, clarifying that Kimud Shoal is not part of their jurisdiction. 

This development came after posts showing what looked like chopped pieces of thresher sharks being harvested around Kimud Shoal went viral on social media.

One of the now-deleted posts claimed that Kimud Shoal is part of Malapascua Island, and therefore within the territorial jurisdiction of Daanbantayan. 

However, the local government unit (LGU) of Daanbantayan pointed out that Kimud Shoal does not belong to their territory, and that it formed part of Leyte’s seawaters. 

“Kimud Shoal, the supposed place where said Thresher Shark was accidentally caught, is not part of the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipality of Daanbantayan,” portions of their statement read.

“But rather it is under the territorial jurisdiction of the Province of Leyte and the fishermen who caught said thresher shark are not from the Municipality of Daanbantayan but from Leyte,” it added.

They also said that since Malapascua Island hosts to rich marine biodiversity, they have implemented a no fishing zone in the area.

“Thresher Sharks are protected species and the Island of Malapascua is absolutely a no fishing zone or area even to our local fishermen… In fact, we have caught and prosecuted several offenders illegally fishing in our territorial waters with impunity,” the local government said. 

In the meantime, Daanbantayan’s local government warned netizens who share wrong or false information about their locality that they may face legal consequences for their actions. 

Daanbantayan is a first-class municipality located at the northernmost tip of Cebu province. 

Photos and videos of thresher sharks spotted in Kimud Shoal, located a few kilometers southeast of Malapascua Island, have been circulating on social networking sites lately. 

However, several diving enthusiasts, including foreigners, expressed concerns over the sharks’ safety after they recorded on video a group of fishermen catching them. 

They also shared videos of what looked like the aftermath of dynamite fishing in the area. 

In the Philippines, catching and selling sharks are illegal. 

Large fishes like the pelagic thresher sharks seen in Malapascua Island, an endangered species, are hunted for their skin, meat and organs. 

/bmjo

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