Press Release
Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Regional Office No. 5
San Agustin, Pili, Camarines Sur
Email: region5@bfar.da.gov.ph
Website: www.bfar.da.gov.ph
Telefax: (054) 361-2326, 478-4508

BFAR apprehends trawl operators in San Miguel Bay, cases filed

Calabanga, Camarines Sur - Four fishing vessels operating in the coastal waters of Calabanga, Camarines Sur in San Miguel Bay were caught in the act of illegal fishing by a team of fishery law enforcers led by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 5 with Deputized fish Wardens (DFW) of the Philippine Army and the Municipal Bantay Dagat during a sea-borne operation activity on July 7, 2011.

F/B Florson, a vessel owned and operated by Fernando Sanchez together with four fishermen on board was caught in the act of trawl fishing (galadgad) at around 2:30 in the afternoon in the coastline of Calabanga. The accused fishermen were residents of Sabang, Calabanga.
 
The other three fishing vessels were caught at the vicinity of Barangay Bonot, Calabanga at 8 o’clock in the evening of the same day namely: F/B Arvin John owned and operated by Glen Toledo with four crew on board; F/B Jason, another vessel owned by Fernando Sanchez and operated by Vicente Decerares with three crew on board; an unnamed vessel owned and operated by Johan Santa Ana with three fishermen on board.

The apprehended operators and fishermen aboard the four apprehended fishing vessels violated Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, particularly  Section 86: Unauthorized Fishing or Engaging in other Unauthorized Fisheries Activities, Sec. 89: Use of Fine Mesh Net, Sec. 90: Use of Active Gears in the Municipal Waters and Bays and Other Fishery Management Areas, Sec. 92: Ban on Muro-Ami, Other Methods and Gear Destructive to Coral Reefs and other Marine Habitat, and Sec. 106: Obstruction to Fishery Law Enforcement Officer.

According to Francisco Ombao, Chief of BFAR-5 Fisheries Resources Management Division, cases were already filed at the Camarines Sur Provincial Prosecutor’s Office with Cc # V-10-INV-116-00643 to 56. The illegal fishing paraphernalia were confiscated and docketed at the said office.

The Fishery Law Enforcement Team were composed of personnel from BFAR-5: Johnson de la Rosa, Audie Gonzaga and Nathaniel Basco; Charles Capricho, Chairman of Pederasyon ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda sa San Miguel Bay, PFC Maynard Pedido of the Philippine Army (PA); Eduardo Olalo, Deputized Fish Warden (DFW) of the PA, and Mario Cabrador, DFW of Calabanga. (khilotin)