KM Viray
Concerned netizen Jelvin Legarda posted a screen cap of another netizen named Kevin John Dula-ugon Colonia’s photos of a pawikan or sea turtle which he apparently was ready to eat. Colonia even put a caption, “Kain tayo [Let’s eat],” with the hashtag #PAWIKAN.
Another netizen named Calia Tahil Nayona commented on the photo, “Diba bawal na? [Isn’t that forbidden already?]” Colinia replied with, “Masarap ang bawal. [What’s forbidden is good]” with a matching smiling emoticon. Colonia’s friend Janeth Ann Reufrer Verdan commented, “Ako bahala [Leave it to me.]” as if to assure Colonia that he could get away with it.
Pawikan are considered critically endangered species. It is on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), having become endangered because of poaching, slaughter, blast fishing, illegal trade, and pollution. The Philippines, being a signatory of CITES, has created the Pawikan Conservation Project through the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Unfortunately, crimes involving these sea creatures are still rampant. There is an illegal trade of pawikan meat which is considered a delicacy. A few years ago, several restaurants in Cebu were found guilty of selling and cooking almost 80 kilograms of pawikan meat daily.
An informer during an interview once said that “the supply of pawikan meat is continuous because of the sea turtle’s nature to lie on the seashore where it dries its carapace or top shell in the sun, makes a nest, and lays eggs, making it easy to capture.”
Colonia and Verdan may be in violation of the Wildlife Conservation Act, or Republic Act No. 9147. The law penalizes violators with a fine of up to P100,000 and imprisonment of up to one year.
