Shocking Photos of Hundreds of Dead Sea Turtles from Seized Chinese Fishing Boat in Palawan
What have they done to our Sea Turtles? from www.philstar.com
Last week, these shocking images of hundreds of dead sea turtles seized from a Chinese fishing vessel off disputed Hasa-Hasa Shoal in the South China Sea which went viral online angered Filipino netizens.
According to Philstar.com, The Philippine National Police-Maritime Group said that remains of 378 endangered sea turtles were found in the cargo hold of the boat flying a Chinese flag.
On Sunday, the PNP Maritime Group said that 555 endangered marine mammals were recovered from the Chinese fishing boat. The surviving 177 sea turtles were released back into the sea on Saturday.
“The rest were dead. Two hundred seven of them were slaughtered and stuffed,” the maritime group said in its report.
Seventy-five sea turtle shells were also found in the seized fishing vessel.
The Department of Justice has filed criminal cases against nine of the 11 Chinese fishermen for violation of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 before the Palawan Regional Trial Court.
Here’s a compilation of photos which circulated online since last week about this inhumane act done to our helpless decades/century old giant sea turtles or “Pawikans”:
from WWF
Chinese shipping vessel which contained hundreds of dead and dying sea turtles
from the PNP Maritime Group
photo by english.sina.com
This sea turtle survived losing a flipper but died at the hands of poachers (gmanetwork.com)
Aside from these turtle carcasses, police also found freezers filled with turtle meat on the Chinese fishing boat
(gmanetwork.com)
Eleven Chinese fishermen arrested by Philippine maritime police (from globalnation.inquirer.net)
Here’s a video report from the local news about the discovery of hundreds of dead sea turtles…. =(
What do you think should be the punishment for this inhumane act?
Why do we keep allowing these things to happen in Philippine shores?
Let’s create more awareness by sharing this news to your social media accounts!
