ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / June 8, 2014) – Two local fisherman were arrested after they were intercepted by a coast guard patrol boat transporting a hawksbill sea turtle they caught off the Santa Cruz Island near Zamboanga City in southern Philippines.
The fishermen – Alonto Inguan, 42, and Bagatsing Katomel, 45, – were brought to the Coast Guard headquarters and handed over to the maritime police on June 7.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar, who was informed of the arrest and the recovery of the turtle, rushed to the Coast Guard and oversee the release of the 18-inch hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate) to the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources.
The reptile was released to its natural habitat near Santa Cruz Island after being tagged for documentation and Agaton Baysa, a wildlife enforcement officer, estimated the age of the turtle to be around 10 years old.
Salazar told the fishermen that catching of sea turtles is illegal and urged the duo to help in preserving marine animals and protect their habitat.
According to reports, hawksbills are a critically endangered species due mostly to human impact and their eggs are still eaten around the world despite the turtle’s international protected status, and they are often killed for their flesh and their stunning shells. (Mindanao Examiner)
20