More logs recovered off Aurora shoreline

Logs that were cut in various lengths and believed to be from Papua New Guinea were recovered in different coastal towns of Aurora province. Contributed photo

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Fishermen in Aurora province have retrieved more logs believed to have come from Papua New Guinea. Since the logs were first seen floating on February 12 off Aurora, some 632 have been recovered, reports gathered by the INQUIRER showed.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Coast Guard are sending a reconnaissance team this week to check if more logs are still floating, according to DENR provincial officer Alfred Collado in a phone interview on Sunday.

With different lengths and widths, the logs bore stickers marked “Papua New Guinea Forest Authority,” DENR and police photographs showed.

Collado clarified that the logs were not locally cut because tree species like Terminalia brassii and Pometia are native to Papua New Guinea.

Oyster and algae growth indicate that the logs have been floating in water for quite some time.

The central towns of Baler and nearby San Luis as well as the northern town of Dilasag have recovered more logs than other towns.

Collado said the logs, piled up in various locations, are now in the custody of DENR teams, police, and barangay councils.

He said the Papua New Guinea government has not replied yet to the information relayed by the Philippines about the logs.

The fishermen who towed the logs to shore have explicitly told the DENR of wanting to own or use these if not claimed by the true owner. The fishermen also asked to be paid for fuel and labor should the owner retake the logs.

“They’re been waiting for updates. Some are impatient but they try to understand,” Collado said. INQ

/MUF