ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Luzon warns the public against the selling of wildlife through social media. Paquito Moreno, executive director of DENR in Central Luzon, said transporting and trading of wildlife without the necessary permit and proper documentation is prohibited under Republic Act No. 9147, the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001. (Photo courtesy of DENR-Central Luzon)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office here warned the public against the buying and selling of wildlife through social media.
This, after operatives of the DENR and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized last week a juvenile bearded dragon estimated to be worth some PHP8,000, which was found and reported by a shipping company at the Clark International Airport, this province.
Based on the shipping manifest, the bearded dragon was sent by an online pet seller based overseas to the consignee who had no import permit on record.
Authorities discovered upon the opening of the shipped package that the animal had died during transport, as it was shipped in a lidded plastic bowl without food, water, or appropriate padding inside the container.
Paquito Moreno, executive director of DENR-Central Luzon, said transporting and trading of wildlife without the necessary permit and proper documentation is prohibited under Republic Act No. 9147, the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001.
“Our citizens should obtain proper permits and not disregard the regulatory processes required in importing wildlife,” Moreno said in a statement.
He also said that the laws are in place to protect wildlife and ensure its proper and safe transport, as well as to protect the nation’s ecosystem.
Moreno thanked the BOC and Clark International Airport for their vigilance and support against illegal wildlife trade.
“We have tightened our watch on wildlife trafficking even during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in our airports and seaports in the region, since these are potential gateways for illegal wildlife trade,” he said.
The DENR has placed Clark and Subic Freeport Zones under tight watch as their strategic locations make them irresistible to smugglers attempting to transport wildlife poached from other countries and parts of the Philippines such as Aurora and Palawan.
Intensified wildlife protection and conservation have resulted in DENR's confiscation of a total of 311 species of reptiles, birds, and mammals since 2015. (PNA)
