17 'illegal fishers' nabbed in Bantayan Island

CEBU, Philippines — At least 17 persons were arrested during the first region-wide seaborne crackdown against all forms of illegal fishing last Saturday in Bantayan Island.

Elements of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Coast Guard implement the synchronized enhanced management operation or simply referred as Oplan Alon, over the weekend.

The operation which served a total of seven search warrants resulted in the arrest of 17 individuals for violation of several fishery codes and confiscated various materials necessary in dynamite fishing.

Operatives seized four fishing vessels, two dynamites, one hand grenade, one unidentified firearm, three fishing compressors, four rolls of compressor hose, one compressor tank, six spare gears, eight fishing goggles, four underwater flashlights, two fish net with total length of 780 meters, 14 blasting caps, 25 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 12 kilograms of various fish, and one pail of scallops.

Police Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, director of PRO-7, said that illegal fishing is rampant in the north, especially in Bantayan.

The operation does not mean they have shifted their focus from illegal drugs, but only giving equal attention to the effects of illegal fishing to the marine environment.

“Aside sa problema sa druga, trabaho sad ni sa pulis, ang proteksyunan ang environment lalo na sa problema sa illegal-fishing, kasi kapag naguba na, wala na pagkaon, asa man mangadto. They are now susceptible to propaganda ng mga leftist. Sa karon nga wala pa madaot, tabangan nato protekta, because ang luoy, ang small time fishermen,” he said in a press conference.

To recall, last month the local police of Bantayan arrested a manufacturer of dynamite explosives in Barangay Lipayran which resulted in the seizure of several explosives for illegal fishing.

Chief Inspector Florendo Fajardo, station commander, considered the haul as a big blow to the illegal fishing trade and committed to intensifying crackdown on dynamite fishing.

Sinas said that PRO-7 is studying to replicate the same operation in Bohol and Negros Oriental. (FREEMAN)