FISHERMEN were arrested by Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force for gathering shellfish without permit off the coast of Bago-Alas Island, Barangay Taloto-an, Concepcion over the weekend.
The task force headed by Senior Police Officer 1 Jose Ronnie Panes said on Monday, May 22, that the fishermen were caught in two separate seaborne operations.
First to fall were the ten fishermen, who were using air compressor to gather shellfish and were onboard the following motorboat:
* Motorbanca (M/BCA) Ignacio – owned and operated by Nelson Alcala with three crew members from Barangay Punta Batwanon, Carles, Iloilo.
* M/BCA 3 Kings – owned and operated by Mermin Borres with three crew members from Barangay Asluman, Carles, Iloilo.
* Unnamed motorboard owned and operated by Sandy Neminzo with one crew from Barangay Borongon, San Dionisio, Iloilo.
The fishermen violated Section 9.06 and 9.09 of Concepcion Municipal Ordinance 1 series of 2008 that provide penalties for fishing without permit and unregistered fishing boat.
The second was composed of 16 crew members of motorboat Toto Jabie which was arrested for using modified drift trawl locally known as “palukso” without permit.
* M/BCA Toto Jabie was owned and operated by Roselyn Buncad and piloted by Jonathan Buncad, both were resident of Barangay San Fernando, Carles, Iloilo.
“This type of fishing is a modification of trawl and push net with the use of lights as fish aggregating device,” Panes said referring to “palukso” as a new type of fishing gear.
Earlier this May, the task force also apprehended fishermen using the forbidden round haul seine or “sinsoro” in Barangay Polopiña, Concepcion.
They were onboard M/BCA MJ (owned by Elena Sicad and piloted by Efren Guiñez) and M/BCA Mildred (owned by Mildred Leong and piloted by Franklin Aldaya).
Each owner paid a compromise fine of P5,000 and their motorboat and pilot were released thereafter.
The task force also grounded a hulbot-hulbot (Danish Seine) motorboat in Barangay Bayas, Estancia but they failed to arrest the four fishermen onboard it. (Jezza A. Nepomoceno)