We usually associate poachers with people who murder innocent animals for their fur or horns, but plant poaching also exists. The recent demand in household plants has opened up the market to people who poach endangered plant species local to our forests. They can fetch up to thousands of pesos, which makes it a lucrative business.
[READ: Endangered and threatened species among most poached, says DENR. Is your plant one of them?]
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has previously issued an announcement against this illegal activity, but now they’re adding fines and jail time for those who get caught.
In a bid to curb the further endangerment of these rare plant species, the DENR is reminding the public that the cutting, collecting and gathering of wild plants is in fact illegal and punishable by law.
According to DENR Region 7 executive director Paquito D. Melicor, “We want to remind everyone that collection and trade of threatened species are prohibited unless such acts are covered by a permit issued by the DENR, please help us protect our wildlife by not patronizing and reporting these illegal activities.”
The announcement also mentioned that most of the poachers come from the country’s rural areas. They’ve resorted to harvesting and selling endangered plants as a way of coping with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
DENR has specified the penalties that come with a guilty verdict, “For hunting and trading, the penalty ranges from two to four years of imprisonment and/or fine of P30,000 to P300,000 for hunting and P5,000 to P300,000 for the trading of wildlife. For the mere transport of wildlife, the penalty is six months to one-year imprisonment and/or P50,000 to P100,000 fine.”
Being a plant parent is wonderful, but this just serves as a reminder that we need to be more mindful of the things we buy. There’s nothing wrong with owning plants—as long as they’re not poached.
Header photo by Cas Holmes on Unsplash
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