Cops arrest fisherman for blast fishing

AUTHORITIES have caught red-handed a fisherman engaged in blast fishing off of the province of Tawi-Tawi, the police said Sunday, July 28.

The Philippine National Police-Maritime Group (PNP-MG) only identified the arrested blast fishermen as alias Ali.

The PNP-MG said Ali was arrested by the operatives of the 1st Special Operations Unit-Maritime Group (1SOU-MG) in the waters of Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi province on Saturday, July 27.

The police said the operatives of the 1SOU-MG launched seaborne patrol after they heard explosions at sea.

While conducting seaborne patrol, the police said the 1SOU-MG operative chanced upon Ali in the act of using improvised dynamite while fishing.

The police said seized from the possession of Ali were three 750-millimeter bottles containing suspected ammonium nitrate, a common explosive component.

The police said the suspect and the recovered items were brought to the 1SOU-MG headquarters for documentation and investigation.

Police Brigadier General Jonathan Cabal, PNP-MG director, vowed to continue combating explosive-based fishing, reaffirming the command's dedication to protecting communities from the hazards of these illegal practices. (SunStar Zamboanga)