Eleven suspected Vietnamese poachers have been arrested in Taytay town in Palawan with a haul of 50 dead sharks, a report on GMA News TV’s “News To Go” said Monday.
The foreign fishermen, caught by the police’s Maritime Special Boat Unit on March 26, are set to undergo inquest proceedings within the day, the report said. They are facing charges for poaching under Republic Act of 8550, or the Fisheries Code of the Philippines.
Under the Fisheries Act, it is “unlawful for any foreign person, corporation or entity to fish or operate any fishing vessel in Philippine waters.”
Police Inspector Bryan Espinosa, spokesperson for Palawan’s Maritime Police, told “News To Go” that the foreign fishermen could face additional charges if the dead sharks authorities discovered on their ship are considered endangered.
In late last year, 13 Vietnamese poachers were also caught and detained in Palawan, their haul consisting of protected sea turtles.
The sharks each weighed around 300 to 500 kilograms, and their fins have been cut off, authorities said.
The dead animals were brought to Puerto Princesa to be buried.
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