'PAWIKAN' PREDATORS BECOME PROTECTORS
by SONNY MALLARI

From a community that had long feasted on sea turtles, people of Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon, have beocme protectors of the gentle marine creature.
"The transfortation of the residents from predators to protectors of endangered species is an inspiration, " said Jay Lim, community coordinator of the Tanggol Kalikasan-Southern Luzon, an environment legal defense center based in Lucena City.
"It only shows that the government and enlightened citizenry can make a great difference in environmental protection". A video documentation by the Tanggol kalikasan showed residents and barangay officials of Cagbalete narrating their experiences with the marine turtles locally known as "pawikan" The island is 30 minutes by boat from Mauban, which faces the Lamon Bay where the pawikan thrive.
Five months ago, Mayor Fernando Llamas created the Task Force Kalikasan to stop the widespread killing of the pawikan. Llamas also formed the Bantay Pawikan and stationed it in Cagbalete to educated the villagers on environment laws and the situation of sea turtles and other endangered marine species that are also found in the Lamon Bay.
Section 97 of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 prohibits "fishing or taking of rare, threatened or endangred species." Marine turtle poaching is punishable by 12 to 20 years imprisonment.

ENDANGERED SPECIES
     The pawikan is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and natural Resources and in the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
     Cagbalete Councilor Juanito dela Cruz said that over the five months since the Bantay Pawikan was established on the island, 19 turtles of different species had been released back into the sea. They include the binalimbing (leatherback sea turtle), sinisihan (green sea turtle), and palahan (hawksville), he said. In the video footage, a young green sea turtle was shown being put back into the sea amid joyful farewall by throngs of village children. Last month, the village released at least 10 hatchlings, said another barangay councilor, Aneceto Rapoli.
     Rapoli said the villagers now informed them about someone catching a sea turtle while fishing. " We just attach a corresponding tag in its flippers and we immediately set the creatre free and back to the sea, " Dela Cruz said.
     "Now, whenever a pawikan dies, we no longer butcher it. We bury the whole turtule to emphasize to our people that eating them the way we used to is against the law," he said.
     The residents recalled that in the past, no village fiesta would be complete without serving pawikan meat as one of the special dishes or as spicy "pulutan" (bar chow) in drinking sessions.
     Roman Malabad, CAgbalete barangay chair, said that before the ban, the villagers used to catch marine turtles with fish nets and spears, not only for home consumption but also for selling.
     Lim said taht former turtle hunters in the village said disclosed to him that they also accepted orders from whoever wanted to buy a big volume of pawikan meat.
     "They sold the meat in kilos. The price would depend on the supply, " he said. The dried carapace of the sea turtle usually commands at least P 400 eash from souvenir hunters based in Manila. Councilor Eddie Malubay, chair of the barangay council's committee on environment and natural resources, said the municipal government had also declared Cagbalete, with its long stretch of white-sand beach, a tourist destination.
     Malabad said whale sharks (butanding), dolphins and sea cows had already been spotted in the Lamon Bay.

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