The Greater and More Minacious Implications of Smuggling Spiders

Early last week, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) discovered a total of 826 spiders, 809 spiderlings and 17 adults, at the Central Mail Exchange Center amid an operation.

The intercepted packages were declared as containing figurines and medicines from Poland and were set to be delivered to residents in Pasay, Parañaque, and Batangas.

The BOC recently handed the spiders over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit who is filing charges against the consignees for violating RA 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act among others.

What is RA 9147?

RA 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act is “the policy of the State to conserve the country’s wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainability.” As such, it is within the Act’s objectives (a) “to conserve and protect wildlife species and their habitats to promote ecological balance and enhance biological diversity” as well as (b) “to regulate the collection and trade of wildlife.”

With regards to the importation of wildlife, RA 9147 requires authorization from the Secretary or the designated representative, strict compliance with the provisions of the Act, and that the recipient is technically and financially capable to care for the wildlife.

As the spiders were incorrectly declared, it is likely that the consignees did not receive proper authorization.

What is the importance of RA 9147?

Invasive species refer to living organisms that are not native to an ecosystem and cause harm to sectors including the environment, economy, and public health. They encompass organisms of both local and international origin.

Introducing species alien to an ecosystem may cause a number of troublesome direct and indirect threats. Assimilating into a new environment, unnaturally introduced organisms must ensure their survival; however, it is in this process that they endanger native wildlife who have likely not evolved defenses against or are in competition with the invader.

Direct threats include:

• Preying on native species or their young

• Surpassing native species in the hunt for food and resources

• Carrying diseases fatal to native species

• Hindering native species from reproducing

Indirect threats include:

• Changing the food web in disrupting native food sources

• Providing little to no food value

• Altering the diversity or number of certain species

• Changing ecosystem conditions (ex. Soil chemistry)