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Eight dynamite fishers nabbed at Hundred Islands
Date:
Combined elements of Alaminos City Police Station (ACPS) and Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) Bantay Dagat have apprehended anew eight (8) suspected dynamite fishers while fishing within the city’s territorial waters yesterday.
The team while conducting seaborne patrol at around 10:45 pm chanced upon a non-motorized banana type boat loaded with “tacsayan”, an active gear in fishing, at the Code 12 Area, east portion of Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) and approached the said fishing vessel for routine inspection and questioning.
Retired Lt. Genaro Bacala, POSO chief, identified the illegal fishers as follows:Warlito Aburial, Roger Galuzo, Danilo Danacay, Bernardo Buado Sr., Fernando Lagao Jr., Mario Damian, Jovel Dacanay, Raymark Dacanay and John Refugia.
It was learned that all of the fishermen are residents of Brgy. San Isidro, Agoo, La Union including their other companions who fled away to the direction of La Union onboard one fishing vessel carrier and small motorized bancas.
The apprehended fishermen were later brought to POSO- Bantay Dagat Detachment at Lucap Bay Area for further investigation and proper documentation.
Confiscated from their possession, control and custody include fine mesh net (Pamo) colored maroon more or less 25 meters; and a styro box containing more or less (20) kilos of assorted size fish. The non-motorized boat used by the fishermen was also impounded at the said detachment unit.
Upon the request of POSO Bantay Dagat, the fishery section of the city agriculture office, conducted a fish examination led by Gilbert Rabadon, a fish examiner, to determine whether the marine products were caught through dynamite fishing.
Rabadon disclosed that based on the internal and external manifestation of the fishes examined, it was found out that it were caught from underwater explosives.
Bacala said appropriate charges now being prepared against the suspects for violation of the city fishery ordinance.
City administrator Wilmer S. Panabang noted that ACPS and POSO Bantay Dagat’s seaborne patrol is round-the-clock, year-round operation to safeguard the city’s waters from illegal fishers and intruders.
“They (composite team) will continue to enforce the law and apprehend the offender as part of their commitment to the city government’s thrust of protecting its marine sanctuary and territorial waters,” he added.
Since 2004, the city’s waters particularly the HINP has been tightly guarded by the city government through combined elements of ASPS, POSO Bantay Dagat and city agriculture office.
The crackdown on illegal fishers was part of the Braganza administration’s all-out war against illegal fishing activities which was also regarded as a model initiative in Region 1 and the envy of most coastal towns and cities in the country. (CIO)
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