A box of assorted shark’s fin with an estimated weight of 11 kilograms and an estimated worth of Php77,000 loaded inside an Eagle Star Bus headed to Cubao/Pasay was found by the BFAR 8 Fisheries Inspection Quarantine Officer and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) stationed in Sta. Clara Port in Allen, Northern Samar, in the late afternoon of 17-March-2023.

Said box of shark’s fin was intercepted during the regular inspection of all outgoing provincial buses bound for Manila and other Luzon areas. It was initially loaded inside a bus with route Dolores, Eastern Samar to Pasay/Cubao. However, it encountered some mechanical issues while on its way to Sta. Clara Port. Thereafter, all the items loaded in it were transferred to another bus with an Ormoc-Cubao/Pasay route, which have been intercepted by the apprehending officers.

Upon inspection, the driver of the identified bus was unable to present any traceability documents such as auxiliary invoice and Local Transport Permit (LTP) of the commodity’s point of origin. Further, the alleged owner of the shipment, who is a resident of Esperanza, Masbate, shared that the said assorted shark’s fins are to be sold to a certain buyer in Cubao.

Protocol documentation such as notice of violation, seizure receipts, inventory receipts, photo documentation, the actual identification of the shipment, and evidence tagging were conducted by the BFAR Quarantine Officers.

Transportation of shark’s fin is a violation of Section 102 (Fishing or the Taking of Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species) of the Amended Fisheries Code of the Philippines. If found guilty, the alleged offender will face imprisonment of 12 years and one (1) day to 20 years and will be penalized with a fine equivalent to 5 times the value of the species in the range of PhP500,000 to PhP5 million.

The apprehending officers are gathering the pertinent documents for filing appropriate charges and proper disposition of the seized shark’s fins.