ILOILO — Scientific examinations conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 6 confirmed that fish seized from a fishing vessel intercepted in the municipal waters of Concepcion, Iloilo were caught through illegal dynamite fishing, exposing what authorities described as another serious threat to Western Visayas’ already strained marine ecosystem.
The confirmation came after laboratory examinations on fish samples recovered during a May 10, 2026 inter-agency law enforcement operation led by the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force against destructive fishing activities in the province.
Authorities intercepted an unmarked white-and-blue fishing vessel operating within Concepcion’s municipal waters and identified its operator as a resident of Balud, Masbate.
Fish samples confiscated during the operation were immediately turned over to BFAR-6’s Fisheries Protection and Law Enforcement Group (FPLEG) for scientific examination.
FPLEG fish examiners later conducted laboratory testing on three chilled Emperor Fish specimens (Lethrinus sp.) at the Bantay Dagat Task Force Station in Concepcion.
The examination produced what authorities described as “undeniable scientific evidence” of blast trauma caused by underwater explosions.
According to the FPLEG report, the fish showed multiple severe injuries associated with dynamite fishing.
Among the external injuries observed were loosened scales across the mid-body and protruding internal organs. Internal examination further revealed a ruptured, blood-filled air bladder, crushed internal organs mixed with blood particles, and a broken vertebral column deeply stained with blood.
“Based on these definitive biological markers, authorities positively concluded that the fish were harvested via dynamite fishing,” the report stated.
The Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force said appropriate criminal charges would be filed against the identified suspect.
The latest apprehension forms part of an intensified regional crackdown by DA-BFAR 6 against what it identified as four major fisheries threats in Western Visayas — dynamite fishing, modified Danish seine or “hulbot-hulbot,” fine mesh net fishing, and commercial trawl fishing within protected municipal waters.
“FPLEG continues to strengthen inter-agency coordination and collaboration to ensure thorough evidence documentation for swift prosecution,” DA-BFAR 6 stated, reinforcing its commitment to protecting Western Visayas’ marine ecosystems from “irreparable destruction.”
Authorities also urged the public to help combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing by reporting suspected illegal fishing activities through the BFAR enforcement hotline./PN
