SOME 51 fishermen were apprehended by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Central Luzon for alleged illegal fishing.

The said fishermen onboard five fishing vessels were caught in the waters of Bulacan following two successive joint operations conducted by the Fisheries Resource Protection Group of Masantol and Bulacan.

The intensified Manila Bay seaborne operation is part of BFAR-Central Luzon’s strategy to combat illegal fishing and disobedient fishing operators.

Regional Director Wilfredo Cruz is optimistic that the efforts of the operatives will not be put to waste once the full measure of the law is implemented.

He stressed that illegal fishing results to unwanted drop in fish production due to usage of fishing methods such as use of explosives which are unsafe for sea creatures.