AlHijjah 17, 1434, Oct 22, 2013, SPA -- Nearly 300 apparently poached sea turtles were seized from a Vietnamese fishing boat off the western Philippines, the government said Tuesday, according to DPA. The boat and its 13 fishermen were apprehended this weekend off Balabac town in Palawan province, 850 kilometres south-west of Manila. Charges of illegal fishing were filed on Monday against them, according to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development. The council said 293 dead sea turtles were found in the boat's refrigerated hold. Additional charges would be filed against the fishermen for killing the turtles, in violation of the Philippines' Wildlife Act, it said.
