BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
GUIMARAS – Personnel of the Bantay Dagat and Nueva Valencia police apprehended a fishing boat engaged in illegal fishing on Monday, June 17.
Fishing boat “Palupad” carrying eight fishermen was caught using bottom trawl fishing method.
Authorities also confiscated assorted fish.
“Subong nga adlaw, June 17, 2024, ang aton nga Bantay Dagat kag PNP (Philippine National Police) madinalag-on nga nadakop ang isa ka trawl fishing vessel (Palupad) matapos ang halos 30 minutos nga paglagsanay sa lawod. This scenario is no longer new to us. This is not the first time that we were able to apprehend a commercial fishing vessel operating within our municipal waters,” Mayor Paul Vincent Dela Cruz said in a Facebook post.
Bottom trawl fishing method involves dragging heavy nets across the sea floor, causing severe damage to the marine environment. This practice, Mayor Dela Cruz said, not only depletes fish population but also destroys vital habitats such as coral reefs and seagrass beds.
He emphasized the critical threat that bottom trawl fishing poses to marine ecosystems and the livelihood of local fishing communities.
“The destructive nature of bottom trawl fishing jeopardizes our future. This unsustainable practice threatens to wipe out the very resources our community depends on. Kung indi matapna ang paghalit sa aton municipal waters, maabot ang adlaw nga wala na kita sang pagkaon nga halin sa dagat. They do not care about our environment. They do not have respect for our law enforcers. They do not have regard for the law,” the mayor said.
He added: “I am committed to take decisive action against bottom trawl fishing. We need to implement and enforce stringent regulations to prevent bottom trawling activities within our municipal waters.”
The municipal government is also seeking assistance in acquiring a speed boat to further enhance their campaign against illegal fishing.
As of this writing, the aforementioned fishing boat and the fishermen were taken into custody by the Nueva Valencia police station./PN
