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Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza has sought
the assistance of police authorities, the coast guard and the Bureau
of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in preventing the hunting
and slaughter of thresher sharks in the Verde Island Passage in
Batangas.
Atienza said the continuous hunting of thresher
sharks could lead to the serious decline in the number of this
species and disturb the ecological balance of the marine ecosystems,
specifically Verde Passage. “We should stop this slaughter to
preserve the ecological balance of our priceless natural
heritage.”
The Environment chief warned fishermen to stop
their illegal activity or face prosecution. At the same time, he
appealed to the public to be more vigilant in guarding the natural
wealth in their area and exert all efforts to help in conserving and
protecting these resources.
Thresher shark belongs to a type of mackerel
shark or Lamniformes whose meat is considered to be very delectable.
Thresher sharks are primarily pelagic and highly migratory. They are
found in all temperate and tropical oceans of the world. There are
three species of thresher sharks; the Common Thresher (Alopias
vulpinus); the Big Eye Thresher (Alopias supercilliosus), and the
Pelagic Thresher (Alopias pelagicus).
They are currently being exploited by the
commercial and sport fishing industry and have been classified as
vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in
2007.
Scientists believe that the Verde Island Passage
that is part of the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion is the “center
of the center in marine resources.” It has about 1,736 overlapping
marine species over a 10 x 10-kilometer area, making it as having
the highest concentration of marine life in the world.
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