There is a growing trend of foreign nationals colluding with unscrupulous Palaweños to evade environmental laws and nationality requirements to secure business permits, such as for lobster farming.
The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) said in a post on Friday that this threatens the sustainable use of Palawan’s natural resources and undermines the Philippines’ legal framework.
The agency warned against disregarding wildlife laws and nationality requirements in doing business, saying they are keeping a close watch.
This came after a Taiwanese national and a Filipino were caught on September 24 in Taytay for operating a lobster farm without the required permits from PCSD and other line agencies.
“The suspects were found in possession of a considerable number of lobsters without the required permits,” the PCSD Staff, secretariat of the policy-making body, said.
“PCSDS has noted a growing trend of foreign nationals conniving with Filipino citizens to evade environmental regulatory laws and nationality requirements for permits,” it added.
PCSD did not release the names of the Taiwanese national and his alleged Filipino accomplice but said it would file the necessary charges against them.
The September arrest was not the first of its kind. On March 4, 2025, a Chinese national and his Filipindo aide were also detained in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Puerto Princesa City for illegal lobster farming.
The PCSD Staff also found that the construction of the lobster farm used 20,000 board feet of apitong, an endangered tree species, valued at ₱29 million.
