Last month a Chinese boat that smashed into one of the Phillipine's protected coral reefs was found with more than 10,000 kg of pangolin meat destined for the black markets.
The vessel struck an atoll in the UNESCO World Heritage site Tubbataha National Marine Park on April the 9th. During an inspection of the boat around 400 boxes containing the flesh of the endangered scaly anteater were found aboard.
Pangolin meat is highly sought after in China; the meat is prized as a delicacy and the scales of the creature are believed to benefit breast-feeding mothers. It's is illegal to trade any of the four species of pangolin. Populations have been decimated in China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The crew are being charged with poaching, which could bring them up to 12 years' imprisonment and huge fines, and attempted bribery and face charges for damaging the reef and possessing pangolin meat.
The pangolin is a slow-breeding creature. Two of the four Asian species are deemed endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and two others are listed as near threatened.
