On March 17, two provincial government offices collaborated to save wildlife species within their jurisdiction, as reported by the regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of Soccsksargen.
The report, shared on social media, indicated that the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) received eight birds – four Brahminy kites (scientific name: Haliastur indus) and four Short-billed Brown Doves (Phapitreron brevirostris) – which were temporarily cared for by a concerned citizen from barangay Singao in Kidapawan City.
In barangay Garsika, Makilala, residents rescued one Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). The bird, which has an estimated wingspan of 38 cm, appeared to be weak. Residents noted that while the bird showed no visible injuries, it had been subjected to an attempted slingshot strike, which may have induced stress.
All rescued species are categorized as “least concern” according to DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-09 and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These species are safeguarded under Republic Act No. 9147.
It’s good that those rescued birds were not illegally traded. But they are part of the country’s biodiversity. “On a per unit area basis, the Philippines probably harbors more diversity of life than any other country on the planet,” the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) said in its website. Unfortunately, the Philippines is also recognized as “one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.”
“This is because the Philippines continues to experience an alarming rate of destruction of these important resources brought about by overexploitation, deforestation, land degradation, climate change, and pollution, among others,” the BMB deplored.
The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reported that the estimated value of illegal wildlife trade (IWT) in the Philippines ranges from $10 billion to $23 billion annually.
With such a huge amount, it makes IWT “the fourth most lucrative illegal business after narcotics, human trafficking, and arms,” the BMB said.
The ADB report said that some areas, particularly those located near the seas, are the transshipment points of the country’s wildlife species, both flora and fauna. How can this problem be addressed?
“There are many strategies to address illegal wildlife trade, but we need a strong legal framework to be able to enforce anything,” says Dr. AA Yaptinchay, who has been involved in marine conservation management for most of his professional life. He has worked with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines.
“The Wildlife Act and the Fisheries Code actually provide this but it is always in the implementation that we need to immensely improve on,” he adds.
The Wildlife Act is Republic Act No. 9147; it aims not only to conserve and protect wildlife species and their habitats but to regulate the collection and trade of these endangered species as well.
The Fisheries Code (Republic Act No. 8550 as amended by RA 10654) provides for the development, management, and conservation of fisheries and aquatic resources in the country. This was amended by Republic Act No. 10654 which “prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”
When asked why these laws are not properly implemented, he replies, “There are many technical aspects to the implementation such as familiarity with the laws that protect wildlife from illegal trade including the corresponding penalties, there is a need for expertise in identifying wildlife that sometimes involve forensic technology, and law enforcement skills such as surveillance, apprehension and prosecution in pursuing criminal cases.
“Most of these can be addressed by capacitating law enforcers through training and providing them with the proper guidance, equipment, materials, and knowledge products to be able to effectively enforce the law,” he adds.
If the laws have to be implemented, Dr. Yaptinchay suggests: “A necessity in implementation is to espouse voluntary compliance to wildlife protection and the regulation of their trade. In a perfect world, this is achievable if every citizen is aware of these laws, knowledgeable about the status of wildlife, and an understanding why these regulations are important.”
He further states, “The government needs to fulfil their duties and obligations to implement the protection laws nationally but also uphold our commitments to international conventions such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which ensures that international trade of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.”
CITES is an international agreement between governments, of which the Philippines is a signatory. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
There are so many species, particularly those living in tropical rainforests, these days that are facing extinction. Among those that are in endangered list are the Philippine eagle, tamaraw, waling-waling.
But since Dr. Yaptinchay is more aware of those thriving in marine waters, he offers this information: “The list of protected marine wildlife has been growing in the past years. Marine turtles (5 species), dugong, and dolphins and whales (28 species) as protected species have been effectively disseminated for decades now, and this somehow has encouraged voluntary compliance albeit isolated reports. However, the same is not true for the shark families.
“Only 58 species of sharks, rays, and chimaeras are protected in the Philippines but since most of them are considered as a fishery resource and difficult to identify, enforcement has been challenging. Dried sharks’ fins, for example, are exported by the Philippines to China. This shipment could be monitored by the government easily if there is presence of protected species.”
Most people think that illegal wildlife trade only means big shipments (or transshipments of protected wildlife for international trade. Can small-scale community trading also be considered illegal wildlife trade?
Instead of answering directly the question, Dr. Yaptinchay provides an example: “A popular traditional dish such as kinunot which uses stingray (not protected) as a main ingredient but may use other shark species, such as the thresher shark (protected) has proven difficult to control because of the traditional and cultural significance of the dish as well as the difficulty in identifying the species if only meat parts are encountered in the traded.
“Moreover, if the wildlife is accidentally captured, there are no proper regulations on handling and disposal or release of dead or live animals – that is why they are just usually consumed and utilized instead of being discarded,” he says.
“Addressing the drivers of illegal wildlife trade such as poverty and limited access to agri- and aqua-cultured food need to be addressed,” he points out. “Reliance on wildlife as a food source needs to be minimized.
“Ultimately, participation of all sectors from the national government, local government, private sector, communities, conservation groups and private citizens is essential because everyone has the responsibility to uphold the law ensuring that our threatened biodiversity is protected from illegal wildlife trade.”
Illegal wildlife trade is just one of the many causes of biodiversity loss in the country. “The main causes of biodiversity are exploitation and extraction, habitat loss and fragmentation, alien invasive species, and climate change.”
Dr. Yaptinchay founded the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines (MWWP), a non-government conservation organization in 2009.
“I have taken particular interest in large marine vertebrates and marine turtles – I worked in the Turtle Islands, the biggest rookery for green turtles in South-East Asia,” he says. “I have also been involved in dugong, cetacean, and shark and ray conservation through projects implemented by MWWP.”
He laments that there is very little research being conducted on shark species in the country. “The fact that there are probably more than 200 chondrichthyan species in Philippine waters, and that they are mostly without protection, makes it imperative that a program for the conservation of this taxonomic group be developed,” he says.
When asked why the world needs biodiversity and what happens when they are gone forever, he replies, “The planet exists due to the delicate balance of natural processes that forms ecosystems. These ecosystems provide services we need to survive including the air that we breathe, food that we eat, water, and raw materials for building, among others. These ecosystems are also responsible for weather occurrences. Ecosystems rely on the interaction of multiple species that make up biodiversity. Without our wild species, ecosystems will collapse and will cease to provide these essential services.”
