By NESTOR B. RAMIREZ
CEBU CITY—Police in this city have been ordered to stop patronizing eateries that offer pawikan meat and instead do their job and catch people who violate the law banning the capture, slaughter and sale of the endangered sea turtle.
By NESTOR B. RAMIREZ
CEBU CITY—Business is brisk, judging from the throng of people and cars parked outside this makeshift eatery in Pasil, a shoreline barangay.
The customers, some in long sleeves and tie, do not mind the heat and the dishevelled slum area. They are here for one reason: To eat their favorite stewed dish of sea turtle or pawikan, an endangered species whose hunting, sale and killing have been banned by law since 2001.
[UPDATE: Philippines goes after sea turtle restaurants]
By GREGORY PAUL H. YAN
TO BE sure, local and international demand for endangered seafood species drives the flourishing illegal marine trade. But there is a second and just as important reason: difficulty of authorities to go after those who break the law.
By GREGORY PAUL H. YAN
INSIDE a dank, dimly lit corner shop within the sprawling Cartimar pet complex in Pasay City, a representative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) gazed at a large and brightly lit aquarium where the shop’s most expensive fish are displayed for sale.
