CEBU CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7 has urged local government units in Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas to pass ordinances that will ban the use of shark meat in restaurant and eateries.
According to BFAR 7 Fisheries Regulatory and Law Enforcement Division head Elvie Flores, the national law only bans the fishing of whale sharks and manta rays and not the use of shark meats in eateries.
Flores said BFAR 7 will help and support LGUs that will pass ordinance to finally end the use of shark meat in restaurants and eateries around the province and the entire region.
Flores made the pronouncement as shark conversation groups led the “Festive Shark Parade” in Cebu City yesterday morning to call on the Province of Cebu to unite and lead the Philippines on the road to national shark protection.
The parade, attended by participants wearing colorful shark costumes, also seeks to raise awareness that could lead to the declaration of the entire country as a shark sanctuary. (Mars W. Mosqueda, Jr.)
