DENR: No reason to kill Black Shamas

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)  7 is contesting  the dismissal of charges  against student researchers who captured and  dissected  eight Black Shama birds, locally known as Siloy, an endangered  species.

The motion for reconsideration was filed last Monday with the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

“The research could not justify the killing of the birds,” said DENR-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo.

The college students’ thesis “Diet and Preference of Cebu Black Shama in Cebu Island” was submitted as a graduation requirement in Cebu Normal University.

The DENR-7 said the study  by the biology students was not authorized.  The  Black Shama  is found in a few  remaining forest patches  in Cebu.

The respondents were cleared of the charge of violation of  Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act.  DENR-7, however, reiterated that  the researchers lacked  a memorandum of agreement, and a special agreement in protected areas to conduct a study.

The gratuitous permit issued by the DENR’s Protected Area and Wildlife Division (PAWD) to the students said the “permitees should release the captured species after acquiring the needed samples.”

A Nov.  5, 2014 resolution of the city prosecutor’s office dismissed the DENR’s complaint for  lack of legal basis and merit.

Charges were dropped against the  students  who  graduated last March 2014. Also cleared were  their  thesis adviser,  three other CNU teachers and  University of San Carlos professor Richard Parilla.

The Black Shama (Copsychus cebuensis) is in the endangered species list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).