Last holder of giant clams to be penalized, fisheries exec warns

By Shiela Mae Butlig
Correspondent .

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-10 has announced that the last holder of giant clamshells (locally known as Taklobo) is the one who will be held liable under the amended Fisheries Code of 1998.

The giant clamshell is listed as an endangered species as confirmed by BFAR-10’s new Regional Director Allan Poquita.

He explained that selling, picking, gathering, transporting and processing it is illegal.

On to the reports that there have been massive selling and buying of Taklobo in some parts of Misamis Oriental, Poquita, reminded everyone not to get, pick, transport, or even process these giant clamshells because under the law, the last holder of this endangered species

“Ang last nga naghawid nga masapnan maoy manubag,” he said.

If proven to be the last holder of the giant clamshells, Poquita said, the holder will be liable to Republic Act 10654, an act to prevent, deter, eliminate illegal and unregulated fishing, amending Republic Act  8550,  or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

“Kami ang magpasaka ug kaso,” he said.

The penalty of the offender (the last holder) that will be charged with violating the Fisheries Code is P5,000 for the first offense and some P1 million for the second offense.

And if proven guilty by the court, Poquita warned, “upon conviction of the court law the offender shall be punished by imprisonment of five to eight years.”