Fisheries protection and law enforcement authorities apprehended Saturday three commercial fishing vessels (CFVs) engaged in illegal fishing in the municipal waters of Cuyo and Coron.
Golden Eagle and Monalinda 85 were apprehended by the Fisheries Protection and Law Enforcement Group (FPLEG) of the Bureau Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in MIMAROPA and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in actual fishing operation around 1 a.m. from an estimated distance of 5.2 nautical miles (or 9.44 kilometers) off Lubic Island, Cuyo, using purse seine or “pangulong.”
While en route to its station in Coron, the FPLEG also apprehended Delbert 2 with 54 crewmen onboard while in the act of conducting “pa-aling” fishing operation at an estimated distance of 13.8 nautical miles (or 25.55 kilometers) off Delian Island around 1:35 p.m.
Pa-aling is an illegal fishing method that involves the use of hoses attached to air compressors by divers to make bubbles to force the fish to come out straight into fishing nets.
In a social media post on May 26, FPLEG said both CFVs allegedly violated Republic Act 10654 amending Republic Act 8550 or “The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998” which states about “unauthorized fishing, unlicensed devices and gears, and using active gears in municipal waters.”
FPLEG said the fishing vessels were apprehended while they were conducting seaborne patrol operations.
The apprehended vessels were brought to the respective FPLEG stations for proper documentation and preparation of necessary papers for the filing of appropriate cases.
