Roughly 14.4 kilograms of dried shark fins worth more than Php 100,000 were confiscated by personnel from the Regional Fisheries Inspection and Quarantine Unit (RFIQU) of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources IX at the Zamboanga International Airport last December 22, 2022. The shark fins contained in two (2) sacks were discovered during a random inspection of fishery products conducted by BFAR Quarantine Officer, Ms. Remelyn Atilano together with Mr. Richard Orquijo, fishery enforcer from the LGU. The shark fins were then brought to the BFAR IX Regional Office for proper identification. Mr. Charlie Repana of the Fisheries Protection and Law Enforcement Group with Ms. Atilano verified that the seized fishery items were those of Rhyncobatus spp. (Wedgefish) and Carcharinus falciformis (Silky Shark), species that are prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Section 102 (b) of the Amended Philippine Fisheries Code stipulates that “It shall be unlawful to fish, take, catch, gather, sell, purchase, possess, transport, export, forward or ship out aquatic species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of wild fauna and flora Appendices II and III.” Consequently, a Notice of Violation was issued to the owner. The prohibited fishery products were bound for Manila.