INTERCEPTED. About 1,210 pieces of live corals, 1,103 of which were in small sizes and 107 pieces were in medium size, are intercepted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-7 at the Hagnaya Port in Cebu’s San Remigio town. The appraised market value of the confiscated corals would be at least PHP7,260,000, BFAR said on Saturday (July 17, 2021). (Photo courtesy of BFAR-7)
CEBU CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR-7) on Saturday said it intercepted illegally shipped live corals worth PHP7.26 million at the Hagnaya Port in San Remegio town, northern Cebu.
BFAR-7’s Fisheries Resource Protection Group (FRPG)–Fisheries Management, Regulatory and Enforcement Division counted more than 1,000 pieces of live corals, mostly doughnut corals.
“(The office) accounted (for) about 1,210 pieces of live corals, 1,103 of which were in small sizes and 107 pieces were in medium size. The appraised market value would be at least PHP7,260,000,” an FRPG report said.
On June 13, 2021, the local coast guard sub-station at the Hagnaya Port seized five boxes of abandoned items, which were declared as tropical fish, shipped from Cawayan town, Masbate.
In a statement, BFAR-7 director Dr. Allan Poquita cautioned the public from collecting and trading corals since these protect the coastlines from natural calamities such as storms or erosion.
He added that the fishing communities depend on the coral reefs for food and income.
Poquita also urged the public not to patronize people that sell corals as home decorations or souvenirs to help curb the illegal shipment of corals.
With the successive apprehensions, the BFAR-7 chief was elated that more people are getting involved in helping save the fisheries and aquatic resources that are being exploited in several human activities.
He commended the Philippine Coast Guard for backing up the bureau’s efforts in strengthening the fishery law enforcement in the region.
Currently, the confiscated corals are housed at one of BFAR-7’s facilities – the Multi-Species Hatchery – in Barangay Kawit in Medellin town, northern Cebu for safekeeping.
These live corals will later be released at marine sanctuaries. (PNA)
