XII, D, 4 Scale: Sea Products of Mindanao and Sulu 201 



sponge culture within Philippine waters. This penalty shall be imposed by 

 the Secretary of the Interior after such investigation as he may deem 

 necessary in each case, without prejudice to any punishment that may be 

 imposed by the Court in accordance with the provisions of section twelve 

 of this Act. 



Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and em- 

 powered to make and prescribe, and from time to time to change, such 

 rules and regulations as may be required to carry out the provisions of 

 this Act, other than those fixing the manner for the collection of the fees 

 and charges prescribed hereunder, and otherwise to conserve and promote 

 the sponge industry in the Philippine Islands. Such rules and regulations 

 when approved by the Governor- General shall have the force of law and any 

 violation thereof shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of 

 this Act. 



Sec. 11. It is hereby prohibited and declared unlawful: 



(a) To transfer any concession or permit granted or issued under the 

 provisions of this Act, except with the consent of the Secretary of the 

 Interior. 



(6) To fish, collect, or gather any sponges growing on the sea bottom 

 or reefs within the boundary of a concession occupied by another person, 

 and granted under the provisions of this Act, or by a concessionaire outside 

 the boundary of his concession. 



(c) To engage in the practice of "loading" or impregnating sponges 

 with foreign substance of any sort or character whatsoever for the purpose 

 of increasing the apparent weight of said sponges and thereby deceiving 

 purchasers of said sponges as to their true weight. 



(d) To ship from or attempt to ship from the Philippine Islands any 

 sponges taken from the waters thereof except through the Customhouse 

 at one of the ports of entry of the Philippine Islands. 



(e) To possess Philippine commercial sponges, unless holding a con- 

 cession or permit in accordance with this Act or a bill of sale traceable 

 from a concessionaire. 



(/) To remove, deface, destroy, or in any way interfere with the location 

 marks of any concession granted under the provisions of this Act. 



(fir) To possess undersized sponges, or sponges less than ten centimeters 

 through any diameter. 



{h) To take from the waters of the Philippine Islands any commercial 

 sponge by the use of any dredge or "gaangara" except in waters of more 

 than thirty fathoms in depth. 



Sec. 12. Any person violating the provisions of this Act or any regula- 

 tions issued by the Secretary of the Interior as provided for in this Act 

 shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty pesos and not more than 

 five hundred pesos for each offense, or by imprisonment not exceeding six 

 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the 

 court. 



In case any association or corporation shall violate or cause to be 

 violated any provision of this Act, such association or corporation, upon 

 conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred 

 pesos and not more than one thousand pesos for each offense, and any 

 person, member, or employee of any association or corporation who shall 

 violate or cause to be violated any provision of this Act, or shall aid, abet, 

 or assist in such violation, or shall voluntarily permit the same, upon 



