CAPIZ – A dead sea turtle weighing about 70 kilograms washed ashore in Barangay Butacal, Panay town.
Avegail Villar of SIKAT, Inc. and Mr. Erwin Arevalo reported the incident to the Capiz Environment and Natural Resources Office (CaPENRO) on Tuesday, March 7.
The sea turtle’s cause of death is still unknown.
The CaPENRO appealed to the public to report a similar incident and raise awareness that wildlife is essential to maintaining the equilibrium of the environment.
It was not the first time a giant turtle was found dead in Capiz.
The office cited Section 27 of the Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which prohibits collecting, hunting, and possessing wildlife and its by-products and derivatives.
Anyone found guilty of violating the wildlife law shall be imprisoned for a maximum of two years and fined up to P200,000 if inflicted against an endangered species./PN
