LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte, Philippines — A Chinese softshell turtle has turned up again in Philippine waters, prompting a conservation group’s warning that it is an invasive alien species (IAS) or a sea pest that could harm aquatic life endemic to the country.
The species (Pelodiscus sinensis), which grow about 4 to 10 inches, are native to China, where they are often raised as pets.
This was not the first time that such reptiles were seen here. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had earlier reported that these turtles had appeared in fishponds in central and southern Luzon.
It was not immediately known how the turtle found in a river in the coastal province of La Union had turned up there.
Chinese softshell turtle, or Pelodiscus sinensis (File photo from the DENR-NCR)
Last Wednesday the barangay chief of Nagsabaran, in the municipality of San Juan, handed over the animal to the local disaster risk reduction and management office, according to the Coastal Underwater Resource Management Actions (Curma), a nongovernmental organization focused on sea turtle conservation based in San Juan.
Curma noted that the turtle is listed by the DENR as an IAS, since it is “considered… a threat to the Philippine endemic and indigenous fish and aquatic animals, as well as to local fishponds and fish operations.”
The “introduction” of such invasive species to “wetlands and other areas of the Philippines is unauthorized, illegal and punishable with imprisonment of up to eight years or a fine of up to P5 million, or both,” Curma said, again citing the DENR.
On its website, the group said its volunteers “patrol the coastline and secure turtle nests from dangers, together with other activities to help preserve marine life and the environment as a whole.”
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