Palace calls for boycott of black coral jewelry

MANILA, Philippines—Following the seizure of P15 million worth of black corals in Cebu last week, Malacañang called on the public Thursday to boycott jewelry made from black coral.

“We call on consumers the world over to make a similar commitment to saving the biodiversity of our seas, by refusing to buy black coral items,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

At the same time, Lacierda asked the help of Filipinos abroad to “look into black coral sold in other countries that may include smuggled Philippine black coral.”

He said the recent confiscation of illegally harvested black coral from the Sulu Sea will help authorities identify areas where patrols should be intensified and also alert non-governmental groups to “step up their advocacies.”

“We call on the local government units to refer to, and implement, the guidebook on Coral Reef Protection issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources last year,” Lacierda said.

The Palace issued the call after the authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle out of the country over P35 million worth of stuffed turtles and other protected marine life.

An expert has surmised that the large amount of coral and stuffed turtles Bureau of Customs officials intercepted recently meant that up to 7,000 hectares of a “reef complex” off Mindanao’s Cotabato area were ravaged by the marine poachers.