As part of a joint operation, the Philippine Coast Guard found the shells, locally known as ‘taklobo’, off the coast of Sitio Green Island, in western Palawan province, according to a Facebook report. The distance was worth £ 1.2 billion (about $ 24.8 million).
According to the Coast Guard’s Palawan commander, Commodore Genito Basilio, it is the largest illegal giant mussel shell in the region.
The law enforcement team has arrested four suspects and accused them of violating the Wildlife Conservation and Conservation Act. Section 27 of the Act states that it is illegal for anyone to “intentionally and knowingly exploit wildlife resources and their habitats” for a number of reasons, including trade in nature or for collection.
Anyone who kills or destroys game species that is categorized as endangered can be sentenced by law to two years in prison or a fine of £ 20,000 ($ 410).
The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), which also participated in the operation with intelligence groups such as the Australian Federal Police, said in a statement on Saturday that it was interviewing a member of the group taking the mussels, Rosalee Tequillo.
“PCSDS” [sic] discussion with Wear. Tequillo has learned that she and her group are collecting and owning Giant Clam species for commercial purposes without legal authority, “the statement said.
Tequillo claims that he has permission from the Philippine presidential office and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to collect the shells, the PCSD said, adding that Tequillo has no documents to prove it.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s office, the BFAR and the PCSD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A certain group of individuals are spreading the false rumor that the PCSD and the BFAR allow the collection of taklobo, the PCSD said in a statement on 13 April.
The giant mussels help maintain marine life by hiding some animals and preventing too many algae, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines.
Tequillo also claims that the suspected group has a “treasure hunt permit”, but according to the PCSD, the giant mussels are not covered by this. The molluscs can only be collected for taxonomic purposes and not for trade, he added.
Teodoro Jose S. Matta, executive director of the PCSD, emphasized in a statement on Saturday that the body responsible for regulating the Wildlife Act in Palawan would remain firmly committed to the illegal trade in wildlife. to combat ‘.
In a separate statement released Saturday, the PCSD called on local fishermen and citizens to abstain from the shells and other endangered wildlife.
This attack is one of a number of similar incidents in recent months. In addition to the Philippine Coast Guard and other groups, the PCSD seized 324 giant mussel shells worth £ 160 million on Johnson Island on March 3, following a similar discovery in October.
According to CNN Philippines, the Philippine National Police and the BFAR have seized about £ 50 million of the endangered shells on the island of Negros.
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