12 Chinese convicted of poaching in Philippines

A Philippine court has convicted 12 Chinese men of poaching after their boat carrying frozen meat of protected pangolins ran aground in a marine park.
Government prosecutor Allen Ross Rodriguez says a court in Puerto Princesa city sentenced the boat captain today to 12 years in prison and each crew member to six to 10 years.
The poaching charge alleged the foreign vessel lacked a permit to be in the Tabbatha Reef Natural Park when it ran aground there in April 2013.
When coast guard inspectors boarded, they found 400 boxes containing thousands of frozen skinned pangolins, or scaly anteaters. The crew said the cargo was collected in Indonesia.

Charges of attempted bribery and possession of endangered animals, which relates to the pangolins, will be decided later.