ILOILO – Authorities intensified their crackdown on illegal fishing in northern Iloilo, apprehending seven fishing boats and seizing vessels and fishing gear worth about P910,000 in separate seaborne operations in Concepcion and San Dionisio.
The operations on Aug. 22 and 23 targeted suspected illegal fishing activities in municipal waters, with authorities catching fishermen allegedly engaged in round haul seine fishing, locally known as “baling,” and trawl fishing.
The joint operations were conducted by a team led by Police Chief Master Sergeant Ariel Palmera under the supervision of Police Lieutenant Colonel Neil E. Gumana, force commander of the 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, together with the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force and Regional Intelligence Unit 6.
In Concepcion, authorities apprehended three fishing boats off Tago Island in Barangay Poblacion.
The vessels were identified as F/B Megan, piloted by 21-year-old Prince Michael Asturias Gargar; F/B Isay, piloted by 22-year-old Jvan Dyke Alerta Sabia; and F/B Odang, piloted by 50-year-old Rando Ardison Ocido. All three operators are residents of Concepcion.
The Bantay Dagat team said the boats and their crews were allegedly caught engaging in “baling” in the waters off Tago Island.
The patrol team approached the fishermen, identified themselves as authorities and ordered the crews to stop fishing and haul their nets.
Each boat was equipped with two 12-horsepower engines and a round haul seine fishing net with sinkers and floaters, along with other fishing equipment. Each vessel also carried a tub of anchovies locally known as “lobo-lobo.”
Authorities valued the three boats at P100,000 each, or P300,000 in all, while their fishing paraphernalia were estimated at P70,000 per vessel, or a combined P210,000.
The fishermen were temporarily detained at the Concepcion Municipal Police Station pending the filing of appropriate charges. The confiscated boats and fishing equipment remained in the custody of the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force.
In a separate operation in San Dionisio, the same joint team intercepted four fishing boats between 12:15 a.m. and 12:45 a.m. on Aug. 22.
The operators were identified as Marvin Padios Torlola, 60; Reynate Padios Tortola, 50; Warren Bores Arbis, 29, who was operating F/B Liam; and Arnel Garing Morales, 49. All are residents of Barangay Odiongan, San Dionisio.
Authorities said the fishermen and their crews were caught engaging in trawl fishing.
The patrol team ordered them to stop and retrieve their fishing nets before the vessels and fishing gear were taken into custody.
The four boats were valued at P80,000 each, or P320,000 in all, while their confiscated fishing paraphernalia were worth another P80,000.
About 10 kilos of assorted fish worth P5,000 were also seized and were set to be donated to a government hospital and a charitable institution.
Unlike the fishermen apprehended in Concepcion, those caught in San Dionisio were to have their boats and fishing equipment released after paying the compromise fines prescribed by the local government unit.
The two-day operation brought the combined estimated value of the seven confiscated boats and their fishing gear to P910,000, underscoring the scale of equipment being deployed in suspected illegal fishing activities in northern Iloilo./PN
