Chinese Poachers Caught in Philippines

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Boat filled with protected species hits coral reef

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Chinese vessel that ran into a protected coral reef in the southwestern Philippines held evidence of even more environmental destruction inside: more than 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) of meat from a protected species, the pangolin or scaly anteater.

The steel-hulled vessel hit an atoll on April 8 at the Tubbataha National Marine Park, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site on Palawan island. Coast guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo said Monday that 400 boxes, each containing 25 to 30 kilograms of frozen pangolins, were discovered during a second inspection of the boat Saturday.

The World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines said the Chinese vessel F/N Min Long Yu could have been carrying up to 2,000 of the toothless, insect-eating animals rolled up in the boxes, with their scales already removed.

"It is bad enough that the Chinese have illegally entered our seas, navigated without boat papers and crashed recklessly into a national marine park and World Heritage Site," said WWF-Philippines chief executive officer Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan. "It is simply deplorable that they appear to be posing as fishermen to trade in illegal wildlife."

The boat's 12 Chinese crewmen are being detained on charges of poaching and attempted bribery, said Adelina Villena, the marine park's lawyer. She said more charges are being prepared against them, including damaging the corals and violating the country's wildlife law for being found in possession of the pangolin meat.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-world/20130415/AS--Philippines-Endangered.Meat/

Terrible and just wrong!

[Penny Lane 8,159]

[mota bhai 2,675]

Terrible and just wrong!

Oh stop. Your silly western feelings have no sway over most of the planet.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Oh stop. Your silly western feelings have no sway over most of the planet.

I see.

[JstaRebel 48]

Terrible and just wrong!

Indeed, and the feelings of this western sea faring soul is that the Philippino government should give them the maximum allowable punishment and fines. Possibly that would be enough to "sway" other world opinion to where people would not fish or poach there anymore.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Indeed, and the feelings of this western sea faring soul is that the Philippino government should give them the maximum allowable punishment and fines. Possibly that would be enough to "sway" other world opinion to where people would not fish or poach there anymore.

The US Navy has not been setting a good example, by ignoring the Philippines' authority over their own territory and crashing a minesweeper into the reef just a few months ago.

[Darnell 8,479]

woo hoo ! yay RoP !

uhm - were these domestic critters or free range critters or wild-caught critters?

If this is an African critter, I'm a thinking was some land swap , a farm was created. China companies have a lot of free range in Africa, no one is checking on them.

So, this is a good thing that the boat crashed - thanks for posting the info !