Fund-raising for Napoleon wrasse release launched

A fund-raising drive to facilitate the immediate release of the recovered Napoleon wrasse, locally known as Mameng, was launched over the weekend by the private sector, as 59 of the 359 endangered fish found in the Chinese vessel Hoi Wan have died.

Lorenzo Tan, president of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines (WWF), said P400,000 ($8,000) is needed to facilitate the release of the remaining 300 Napoleon wrasse into the wild.

The private sector insisted that all the live Napoleon wrasse still in the fish tanks of Hoi Wan should be released at Tubbataha Reefs, and not at Honda Bay, as some parties suggested.

In connection with this, Tan said a legal team is poised to seek approval from the regional trial court in Puerto Princesa City permitting the return and release of all surviving Napoleon wrasse in Tubbataha.

"Director Malcolm Sarmiento of the (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource) immediately agreed with the idea," Tan said. "He said, since Mameng are an endangered species, they should be released in the nearest marine reserve, which is Tubbataha. BFAR will work for this."

The WWF said it has made available a bank account in which all private sector donations may be deposited.

Tan said that donations will be used solely to pay for the expenses directly related to the transport and release of the recovered Napoleon wrasse at Tubbataha Reefs.

"The Napoleon wrasse in the holds of Hoi Wan have begun to die," Tan noted. "There isn’t much time. The clock ticks on."

Based on the inventory conducted by the BFAR on the 13 fish tanks in the Hoi Wan, a total of 2,313 live fish, mostly assorted types of grouper, were found in the vessel.

However, of the total number of live fish, 359 were Napoleon wrasse, an endangered species; and 70 were Panthers, a fish that is protected under an ordinance of the government of Palawan.

The Napoleon wrasse is considered an endangered species as it is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Thus, its protection and conservation is promoted worldwide.