ILOILO City – Seven individuals were apprehended and over P642,000 worth of fishing gear, motorbancas, and fish were seized in a 24-hour regional crackdown on illegal fishing from August 28 to August 29.
Data from the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) showed that across five separate operations, law enforcers confiscated a total of P642,690 worth of boats, paraphernalia, and illegally caught fish across Western Visayas.
The biggest operation transpired off the coast of Barangay Balogo in Pilar, Capiz, around 1:40 p.m. on Friday, August 28. Joint forces from the Pilar Municipal Police Station and Bantay Dagat-Pilar intercepted a fishing boat allegedly operating without the necessary permits during a seaborne patrol in Pilar Bay.
Authorities arrested three crew members identified by their aliases “Berto,” 44, the boat captain; “Itik,” 28; and “Toto,” 30, all residents of Barangay Guinticgan, Carles, Iloilo.
The Pilar operation yielded a motorbanca valued at P450,000, fishing nets and other paraphernalia worth P75,000, and approximately 50 kilograms of assorted fish valued at P10,000, bringing the total haul from the single operation to P535,000.
The suspects face charges for violating Chapter 7, Section 56 of Pilar Municipal Ordinance No. 01, Series of 1999. Both the suspects and seized items remained in the custody of Bantay Dagat-Pilar for proper disposition.
PRO-6 director Police Brigadier General Randulf T. Tuaño vowed to sustain coordinated maritime operations alongside local government units and coastal enforcement teams.
“Ang ating karagatan ay mahalagang pinagkukunan ng pagkain at kabuhayan ng ating
mga komunidad. Hindi natin hahayaang mapinsala ito dahil sa ilegal na pangingisda,” said Tuaño. “Sa tulong ng ating mga katuwang na ahensya at ng mamamayan, patuloy nating
babantayan ang ating mga karagatan at papanagutin ang sinumang lalabag sa batas.”/PN
