Twelve suspected Chinese poachers could face up to 20 years in prison for possession of hundreds of dead pangolins or scaly anteaters, Philippine wildlife authorities said on Wednesday.
The boat carrying the 12 Chinese men ran aground on Tubbataha marine park, a Unesco World Heritage-listed coral reef near Palawan, last week.
“We are preparing a case. We are still compiling supporting documents (but) it carries a heavy penalty of 12 to 20 years imprisonment,” Adelina Villena, environment officer of the province of Palawan, said.
Mere possession of the threatened species is basis for criminal charges, regardless of where the pangolins were obtained, said Villena.
All eight species of the insect-eating mammals are protected by international law. Two – the Malaysian and Chinese pangolins – are on the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s “red list” of endangered species.
Prosecutors have already charged the men with illegal poaching and with corruption for attempting to bribe Filipino officials.