TTALIBON-The Philippine National Police seaborne patrol team of this town scored anew as they saved a “dugong” from dying in the hands of local fisherfolks about to butcher it by the shoreline of the island barangay of Nocnocan last May 20. It seemed like fiesta at the shoreline of the island when barangay folks gathered to try to take a glance a marine mammal locally known as “dugong” in vernacular. The crowd caught the attention of the PNP seaborne patrol that was doing a round in the vicinity. They made an immediate investigation and they found out that a group of fishermen already started to butcher the marine mammal, one of the declared endangered species in the country. The team immediately confiscated the sea mammal from one Lito Amorin and brought it to the fish port of the town to report it to authorities. Esteban Payusan, fisher folk regional director and chairman of the Municipal fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council (MFARMC) of Talibon, Nestor Cruda, Agriculture Technician, Geoffrey Villamil, fish examiner made a haste investigation. Dr. Willy Cruz, consultant of South East Asian Fisheries and Development Center (SEAFDEC) with this staff who happened to be in the town conducting a seminar for all barangay chiefs made their own investigation. Investigations revealed that the dugong was a female and believed that it was a victim of explosion based on the lacerations on his head and her eyes were lost and a deep wound near the side pin believed to be caused by a spear.

The dugong measured seven feet long, 21 inches width, one foot height with 14 inches pins, 19 inches breast and estimated to 150 kilos more or less. Payusan sent through cell phone, his report to Director Anastacio Bojos, regional director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-7 and Mayor Juanario Item of this town. Bojos ordered Payusan to secure the dead marine mammal and bury it immediately in a safety place for the bureau's examiner to make a thorough examination on the real cause of its death. Mayor Item allowed burying the creature at the area of the Municipal Agriculture Office for safekeeping. It was learned that this kind of animal when not feeling well, it migrates to abundant food and safe place to rest and comfort itself and finally went to a shallow water to find help. It was remembered that during the filmmaking of the “Voyage for the Future” held in Talibon a school of dolphins about 50 was sighted between the islands of Calituban and Guindacpan of this town. Item immediately alerted the fish watch team then to closely monitor its movement to avoid the interested fishermen to harm the rare marine creatures. The PNP team who confiscated the dead marine mammal was composed of PO3 Reynaldo Arradaza, team leader; PO2 Bernabe Ortega and fish watch members.