News: Black Coral Poaching - "rape of the ocean."

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DonCebu

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Cebu, Philippines
This is an on going case in the local news.

Senator vows to expose black coral poachers

Corals worth P15M stopped

Zubiri: Black coral probe may cover local governments

Arrest of black coral consignee ordered

4 charged in black coral case

Cabaero: National network in black coral web

Don't buy black coral jewelry

Customs people found 163 stuffed hawk bills and green turtles, 21,169 pieces of black corals, 7,340 pieces of Trumpet and Helmet shells, and 196 kilograms of sea whips, all threatened species that cannot be legally gathered, collected, traded nor transported,
 
Cebu's shell exporters oppose export ban proposal

I understand the coral are both a local problem and export problem, but I found this quote to be interesting from a foreign owned exporter:

Sharpe said Phil-Export believes the shell and shell craft industry must not be dragged into the issue of the confiscation of black sea fan corals because the sector is making business out of the shells whose contents are consumed by Filipinos.

She said before the export of shells and shell craft products started, people living in islands and islets just threw them away after eating the contents.

With the shells and shell craft products export, the people don’t only enjoy the food, they also earn money from the shells.


I know a lot of Filipinos need to eat and have been living off the sea for generations, but I think with the lure of making a few pesos from the shells, they will take more than they need.
 

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