Taiwanese fined for killing clam
ALAMINOS CITY – Anyone for a P40,000 kilawen clam seafood meal?
A Taiwanese tourist who takes seafood as an aphrodisiac found himself paying for his most expensive meal yet because he chose to eat a giant clam protected by law at the Hundred Islands National Park.
Tsoa Kuang-Chih, temporarily residing at Baguio City, was arrested and fined P40,000 last May 3 for violating Section 97 of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 8550) and the National Integrated Protected Area System Act (RA7586).
Mayor Hernani Braganza said Tsoa was with a group of visitors accompanied by a tourist guide who warned them that taking a giant clam is prohibited by law. But when the guide left, Tsoa decided he had to have one and thought he could get away with it.
But a boatman saw him take one and ate it kilawen style (its raw meat soaked in vinegar, ginger, onions, pepper and salt) and reported the incident to the authorities. The suspect quickly apprehended by Bantay Dagat personnel for killing a giant clam (Tridacna gigas).
Tsoa apologized for his act and claimed he didn’t know about the Philippine laws governing giant clams. But he was still fined P40,000.
The penalty was determined based on the age and size of the giant clam, and its market value as appraised by city’s fish examiner and Tanggol Kalikasan, the Public Interest Environment Law Office.
Braganza said the city government allows tourists to take pictures, snorkel and even hold the giant clams. “But we let them (tourists) know that they just cannot poach or hunt giant clams, collect corrals and gather bonsais found in our city’s protected treasure,” he said.
The Giant Clam and Corral Garden near the Quezon Island is one of the main tourist attractions today at the national park.
In mid 1990s, then President Fidel Ramos, Braganza’s uncle, initiated the giant clam seeding program the Hundred Islands.
Braganza sustained the program and with 7,000 giant clams in place at the Hundred Islands, he aims to make the park the Giant Clam Garden of Asia.— EVA
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
