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Local fisherfolks face charges for dolphin fishing

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 26, 2007


The dolphins are about 2 meters in length.

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  Two dolphins attracted a huge crowd of Catbaloganons on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. The dolphins were at the Police Station not for a show, they were evidence.

Earlier, PNP Catbalogan received reports from residents of Barangay San Roque who said a group of fisherfolks caught four dolphins and were beginning to butcher the fish.

Immediately, a joint team of Catbalogan Municipal Police Station composed of SPO4 Edgardo Orbita and PO1 Roberto Jerusalem, under the supervision and direction of police chief PSupt Ramil Ramirez, together with the personnel from the municipal agriculture office headed by its municipal agriculturist Ruth Dasal and Edgardo Guya, agricultural technologist went to the site and apprehended Bebiano Mantilla, Ruel Cordowa, Ignacio Matilla and Manuel Corsame all residents of Sitio Sugod, Brgy San Roque, Buri Island, this municipality and Jose Menoro of Brgy. Payao also of this municipality for illegally fishing a threatened or endangered species known as dolphins as determined by the Department of Agriculture.

Recovered from the scene is an sliced into pieces and slaughtered dolphins. A case for violations of Section 97 of RA 8550 is now being filed at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Catbalogan, Samar docketed under I.S. No 03318-07-I.

Catbalogan PNP Chief PSupt Ramil Ramirez said that the fisherfolks, if proven guilty will be facing P120,000 fine and imprisonment of 10 to 20 years.

He also requested the media to disseminate the information regarding the law against fishing these rare kinds of species. He also called on all barangay folks not to feign ignorant to the law.

“Tigilan na nila ang pagsabing di nila alam,” (Stop telling us you don’t know the law) an exasperated PNP chief aired.

Municipal agricultural technologist Edgardo Guya on his part feels glad that slowly, coastal rural folks are gaining the awareness on the protection of the marine life in Maqueda Bay.

He admitted though that one incident of the sale of a rare whale shark specie also disturbed him for some time.

With the renewed vigor of government agencies in the protection of marine life, MAO and PNP will always join hands in chasing violators of RA 8550 (Fisheries Code of 1998).