The Philippine maritime police intercepted a Chinese boat near the Half Moon shoal on West Philippine Sea and found over 300 dead and dying turtles onboard. “The PNP has brought the boat and its 11 crewmen to Palawan, where the suspects will face charges for violating anti-poaching laws,” reports ABS-CBNnews.com.
The turtles had their eyes pierced and were bound together through their empty eye sockets. There were 234 dead turtles and 120 live ones.
While Malacanang and the DFA has said the suspects will face charges, China is, of course, demanding the release of their fishermen. In the said report, the spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Zhang Hua said on Thursday that “‘solemn representations’ had been lodged by the embassy to the Philippine side over the incident, reiterating ‘China’s indisputable sovereignty over Nansha islands and their adjacents waters.”
Wonder what they planned to do with these poor eyeless turtles.
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