A court in Philippines has ordered the release of nine Chinese fishermen who served a year in prison for poaching hundreds of endangered giant sea turtles from a disputed South China Sea shoal.
A court staffer said Judge Ambrosio de Luna of the regional trial court in western Palawan province granted their lawyer’s motion for release because the fishermen have served their prison sentences and the prosecution raised no objection.
The fishermen were arrested in May 2014 at Half Moon Shoal and their boat and catch of 555 endangered sea turtles were seized.
2015, The Standard Newspaper Publishing Ltd.