ILOILO CITY, (PNA) — Coast Guard authorities and tanod members of a coastal community in Capiz have apprehended the crew of two trawl motor bancas and confiscated their fishing gears for illegal fishing activities last weekend in the coast off Brgy. Olutayan, Roxas City.
Olutayan barangay captain Manuel Aninang said his tanod members, along with personnel of the Philippine Coastguard jointly apprehended the crew of two fishing trawls 10 N 1 and Silangan while in the act of illegal fishing in the coast of the island barangay.
Apprehended were Edward Dela Cruz and his three crew onboard the 10 N 1 motor banca and the skipper of ‘Silangan’ identified as Joel Dazar and his two crew who were all residents of Brgy. Libas, Roxas City.
The Olutayan village chieftain said the fishermen could only have their confiscated fishing gears back once they pay appropriate penalty based on the existing fishery law.
It was learned that the use of fine mesh nets or trawl fishing within the economic zone of a certain coastal community is strictly prohibited because the fishing gears destroyed coral reefs that serve as the spawning ground of various species of fish.
The fishing gear also does spare small fishes along its path.
Sometime in mid-August early last month, the Coast Guard and tanods in the barangay also apprehended three fishing vessels from Carles, Iloilo while poaching and extracting sea cucumber using destructive fishing gear locally called “karas” or rake.
Aninang said these illegal fishing method of harvesting sea cucumber further contribute to the rapid depletion of rich marine resources in their coastal community, saying the destructive fishing implement could damage the natural habitat and breeding ground of fishes and deprive sustenance fishers of their catch.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has encouraged fishermen to engage in some friendly method and the right process of gathering sea cucumber like sea diving to help preserve and protect natural marine resources from further degradation.