‘STOP EATING TURTLES’
Stopping pawikan trade not city’s priority
Cebu Daily News 8:52 am | Tuesday, March 12th, 2013
The illegal trade of pawikan (sea turtle) meat in barangay Pasil in Cebu City will only be stopped if people would cease from patronizing the food stalls offering the exotic dish, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday.
“Walay mamaligya ug walay demand. Walay mamaligya ug wala nay magluto,” he said in a news conference at City Hall.
(There will be no sellers if there’s no demand; there will be nothing to sel if no one’s cooking the dish.)
The mayor was reacting to a Cebu Daily News expose of the continued offering of pawikan stew in food stalls near the fish port in barangay Pasil.
The pawikan stew is no longer on the menu of an eatery in Pasil when CDN visited the place yesterday.
“Wala pa may dunggo (No pawikan meat were delivered yet),” one of the vendors said.
Pasil barangay captain Jocelyn Almacen said she will summon the vendors who are found to be offering stewed pawikan.
“Ato i-verify ang reports. Kon makakita ta og nagluto or nagtinda og pawikan, ato ipahunong (I’ll have to verify the reports. If ever we will see anyone who cooks and sells pawikan meat, I will ask them to stop what they are doing),” she said.
Mayor Rama said that the people themselves should be aware that when they eat pawikan meat, they are doing something that is against the law. He added that government officials should be more aware of the law and no longer have to be reminded that buying and selling pawikan meat is illegal.
In an earlier interview, the chief of police of Cebu City, Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr., admitted that he had eaten stewed pawikan in barangay Pasil, but has stopped since learning about the law that prohibits it.
Rama said that it was also wrong to single out Pasil vendors for the illegal trade of pawikan meat because this is something that is also happening in other parts of Cebu and the country as well.
But the mayor said addressing the problem on the continued selling of pawikan meat is not for the city government to address. Instead, he said, it is a task that should be given to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). He said the city government has more important environmental concerns to address like the implementation of the “Gubat Sa Basura” program and the rehabilitation of the Inayawan sanitary landfill.
“Let us be more practical in our approaches. Ug ato na lang sad hutdon tanan (concerns) wala na lang gyud tay ma-accomplish ana,” he said.
Dr. Pilar Romero, assistant head of the city government’s Department of Veterinary Medicines and Fisheries (DVMF) said they don’t have inspectors who can go after distributors of pawikan meat.
No BFAR-rated inspector
Romero said that there is also no law that mandates the city government to do the monitoring and apprehension of vendors. Such task, Romero, said is assigned to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Unless the city has a BFAR-deputized inspector, they will not have anybody to help stop the sale and distribution of pawikan meat.
- Is it a valid reason for the mayor to say "walay mamaligya kung walay demand, walay mamaligya kung walay magluto", just because of this he will not find ways to lessen the market trade of exotic animals like turtles? even if it is really not the priority, he wont even try to find ways for it?. The animals also has rights, but they cannot speak for it. If no person will tend to help these exotic animals, then who will?. Mayor mike rama you are the father of cebu city right know, you are responsible for the implementation of laws here in the city. If you will stress on campaigning to stop illegal trades like this then may be we can lessen the illegal trade of pawikan here in cebu city.-
let your voices be heared. What are your thoughts about the news? Lets here for it
UPDATED VERSION OF THE NEWS: (go to the link below)
Why save the sea turtles? | Inquirer News
"Stopping Pawikan Trade not city's priority " by Mayor Michael Rama..
Originally Posted by Renz8
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