JOINT police and military troops, accompanied by fishery personnel, have arrested three fishermen, including two children, for illegal fishing off Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay, the police reported Tuesday, June 19.

Arrested were Eduardo Danag, 40; Marlo Navales, 16; and Joemar Danag, 10, all residents of the village of Timbang-Timbang, Alicia.

The police reported that the troops, backed by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources personnel, were on patrol when they spotted a fishing boat known as "hulbot-hulbot" with three people aboard around 12:10 p.m. Monday, June 18, in the vicinity of Sitio Gapul in the village of Conception, Alicia.

The three fishermen were caught fishing with fine mesh nets. Confiscated from them were one box of fish, 150-meter rope, and one 100-meter fine mesh.

Under Section 89 of Republic Act 8550, or The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, it is unlawful to use fine mesh nets, or a net with mesh size of less than three centimeters, in fishing. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)