A TOTAL of 86 fishermen were apprehended by authorities due to illegal fishing in municipal waters of Conception and Carles earlier this month despite rough seas triggered by low-pressure areas and tropical depressions.
These erring fishermen were caught fishing using active gears like trawl, ring net, and modified bag net or locally known as “baskal” within the municipal waters and without permits from the municipal governments concerned.
Reports from the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat on Tuesday, September 4, showed that the fishermen were mostly residents of Concepcion and others were from the nearby towns of Estancia and San Dionisio.
There were 37 trawl fishers that were onboard the following motorboats and have paid P2,500 fine in the municipality:
-F/bca Jun Rose owned by Rosalie Bernas
-F/bca Binjo owned by Bernard Badiango
-F/bca Bong Weng owned by Luther Anuevo
-F/bca Nover owned by Bobby Gabayeron
-F/bca Karen owned by Dennis Gabayeron
-F/bca Lyka owned by Lyka Azin
-F/bca Dona Nena owned by Nena Orpesa
-F/bca Meg owned by Megnan Depalobos
Four fishermen from Barangay Odiongan, San Dionisio were arrested in Barangay Taloto-an, Concepcion using shrimp trawl while onboard motorboats Nonoy and An-An owned by Jolito Arbis and Jeffrey Octavio, respectively.
Using modified bag net were five fishermen onboard motorboats Chechay, MRC and Amek that were owned by Efren Guines, Rowena Cacho, and Alma Mae Dumali, respectively.
They, too, were compelled to pay P2,500 each for violating Concepcion’s Municipal Fisheries Ordinance N. 1, series of 2008 and Municipal Ordinance 2018-17 declaring the area as Marine Protected Areas.
The 40 other fishermen, who were using otter trawl and ring net, were made to pay P15,960 by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Western Visayas Adjudication Committee since their operators failed to secure the license for their fishing vessels, gears, and fish workers.
The motorboats using otter trawl were Yvonne and Rachelle May that were owned by Leony Betita of Barangay Taloto-an, Concepcion and Salvador Obidos of Barangay Jintotolo, Balud, Masbate. (Jezza Nepomoceno)