Poachers caught with 101 Dead Sea Turtles

[boljakool]

same thing might happen with these vietnamese fockers, pak!

 

[Joe Cool]

I don't think it will scare off the international poachers. They know there is little to no effective Philippine Coast Guard capable of patrolling the huge expanse of water in the country. The odds are sadly in the poacher's favor.

Hank,
I agree with you. What you just said is reality. It is a known fact that the local pirates have better equipped and faster boats than the Coast Guard! But, I guess if everything seems hopeless, it won't hurt to be optimistic and keep hoping for the best.

 

[Joe Cool]

BTW, does anyone know what ever happened in the end with those Chinese poachers who got caught with the 1,000's of Napoleon wrasses in 2007? Did they go to jail, did their boat get siezed by the gov't. I vaguely remember that the Chinese gov't was leaning on Manila to release the crew.

Last thing I remember in the end was some politicos taking advantage of the return of the wrasses to Tubattaha Reef for some campaign PR photos...

Pak,
If my memory serves me right, those Chinese poachers were released back to the Chinese government. I think the Chinese pressured the Philippines to release them. We all know that the Philippine Government can't stand up to the weight of the Chinese Government. I believe that their decision to release the captives may have something to do with on-going talks concerning the Spartly Islands. Let's face it. If the Chinese use force to take the Spartly Islands, no one can do anything about it. Not even the US. The mentality here is, "Let us not poke the sleeping dragon." I was just being optimistic about my "Big Stick" statement. In reality, there is little that the Philippine Government can do especially with Chinese poachers. Sad but true.

 

[Hank49]

Hank,
I agree with you. What you just said is reality. It is a known fact that the local pirates have better equipped and faster boats than the Coast Guard! But, I guess if everything seems hopeless, it won't hurt to be optimistic and keep hoping for the best.

I'm going there Oct 15 and will dive with Fisheye Divers for a week (Apo Reef, Coron, Busuanga, Panagatan) on their big bangka. I never give up hope for that place. It's a long row to hoe, but it's getting better little by little.

 

[Babydamulag]

We are getting there. I see it everyday. Our local fishermen finally realized that they have to conserve (on their own), the locals know that trash is a real hazard to the environment, and the local government folks are realizing they actually have to enforce their laws. The capsized container ship tested everyone's resolve to get it out of there!! It is happening.....sloooooooowly.

 

[onsse]

so is seizing the poacher's vessel part of the punishment or was that just an idea??

if it is, that would really be a good one.. f em!

onsse