ILOILO – Maritime enforcement units dealt a major blow to illegal fishing in northern Iloilo after seizing a commercial vessel and gear worth P4.55 million used in destructive hulbot-hulbot (Danish seine) operations off Baliguian Island, Barangay Taloto-an, Concepcion town.
Joint operatives from the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force, 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the Regional Intelligence Unit 6 intercepted the commercial vessel at around 9 p.m. on October 5.
Authorities arrested the boat operator, identified as alias “Rowel,” 36, married, and a resident of San Remigio, Cebu City.
Law enforcers caught the suspect in the act of deploying Danish seine fishing gear, locally known as hulbot-hulbot, which uses heavy weighted scare lines and tom weights dragged across the sea floor, destroying delicate coral reefs and marine habitats.
Seized during the operation were a commercial fishing boat valued at P4 million, various hulbot-hulbot paraphernalia worth P500,000, and 15 tubs of assorted fish estimated at P50,000.
The operation was conducted for violations of Section 97 of Republic Act 10654 (The Philippine Fisheries Code) in relation to Fisheries Administrative Order 246-1, which strictly bans Danish seine and modified Danish seine methods in Philippine waters due to their destructive impact on coastal ecosystems.
Police Brigadier General Randulf T. Tuaño, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director, emphasized that curbing active-gear fishing like hulbot-hulbot is critical to protecting coastal livelihoods from commercial encroachment.
“Ang ating kampanya laban sa illegal fishing ay hindi lamang pagpapatupad ng batas. Ito ay pagprotekta sa kabuhayan ng ating mga lehitimong mangingisda, sa ating yamang-dagat, at sa kinabukasan ng mga komunidad na umaasa rito,” said Tuaño. “Hindi natin hahayaang sirain ng mga ilegal at mapanirang paraan ng pangingisda ang likas na yaman na dapat mapakinabangan ng kasalukuyan at susunod na henerasyon. Patuloy nating paiigtingin ang pagbabantay at pakikipag-ugnayan sa ating mga katuwang na ahensiya upang mapanagot ang mga lumalabag sa batas.”
The suspect is currently detained at the Concepcion Municipal Police Station, while the impounded commercial boat and confiscated fishing gear remained in the custody of the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force for proper legal disposition./PN
