Three hundred seventy eight were dead when the Filipino police caught up with the poachers on the South China Sea. One hundred seventy-seven surviving turtles have been released. The incident sparked international tension between the Philippines and China over the disputed waters where the poachers were arrested last Friday. The Philippine's Interior Secretary defended the actions of the police who were on routine patrol fifty-six miles from the coast. Both China and the Philippines are signatories to CITES that protects marine turtles. Two species were found on the poacher's boat, Hawksbill and Green sea turtles. The Green marine turtle,
Chelonia mydas is categorized as Endangered by the IUCN. The turtles were found bound with plastic tape through their eye sockets. Eleven poachers were charged and two release because they were minors.
Those charged could face 12-20 years for poaching the critically endangered Hawksbill
(Eretmochelys imbricata). China, which takes a lax approach to endanger species protection and has a booming trade in animal parts, has demanded the release of the poachers and their boat, calling their arrest on Banyue Reef near Palawan Island "provocative". Palawan is within the Philippine's exclusive economic zone. Because of man's predation and habitat degradation, marine turtles are being pushed to extinction. Of the seven marine turtles two are listed as Critically Endangered, two Endangered, two as Vulnerable and one unclassified due to lack of data. All seven are listed in Appendix I of the treaty which means commercial trade in all marine turtles is illegal.
