BACOLOD City — Four individuals were apprehended in separate anti-illegal fishing operations conducted by authorities in the municipalities of Ilog and Hinigaran, Negros Occidental on Sunday, July 12.
In Ilog, personnel of the Ilog Municipal Police Station, together with volunteers from the Municipal Bantay Dagat Task Force, intercepted a fishing boat engaged in illegal fishing activities at around 4:45 p.m. within the town’s territorial waters.
Arrested were three residents of Barangay Caradio-an, Himamaylan City, identified only by their aliases “Randy,” 49; “Ronald,” 25; and “Jerson,” 37.
Police said the three violated Section 5 of Municipal Ordinance No. 26, Series of 1993, which prohibits illegal fishing activities within the municipality’s territorial waters.
Confiscated during the operation were a fishing net valued at P30,000 and about eight kilograms of assorted fish worth an estimated P1,000.
The three violators opted to settle the case by paying a P6,000 fine. The confiscated fishing net was turned over to the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Ilog for proper disposition.
Meanwhile, a 60-year-old fisherman, identified only by the alias “Romeo,” was apprehended at around 2:02 p.m. during a seaborne patrol operation conducted by personnel of the Hinigaran Municipal Police Station and the town’s Task Force Bantay Dagat in the coastal waters of Barangay Gargato.
Authorities seized an unmarked motor banca valued at P45,000, a fine fishing net worth P5,000, and approximately 15 kilograms of assorted fish with an estimated value of P1,200.
The fisherman likewise opted to pay a P2,500 fine in lieu of further legal proceedings. His motor banca, fishing net, and catch were turned over to the Municipal Agriculture Office of Hinigaran for proper disposition.
Authorities said the operations form part of the continuing campaign to protect the province’s marine resources and enforce fisheries laws against illegal fishing activities./PN
