Fisheries bureau, PNP to form anti-illegal fishing team

TACLOBAN CITY, Sept. 19  – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) will form a joint task force to strengthen the government’s fight against illegal fishing in Eastern Visayas.

BFAR Regional Director Juan Albaladejo and PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos will sign a deal on Friday creating the “Joint Task Force: Bantay Kadagatan”, with a mandate to strictly enforce existing fishery laws.

The team will focus its patrol in municipal waters, where production has been depleted by unregulated fishing and massive operation of commercial vessels. Municipal waters are within the 15-kilometer area from the shoreline.

“The primary functions of the Task Force are the prevention, deterrence, detection and apprehension of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and other forms of illegal fishing including the prosecution of individuals apprehended during its operations,” Albaladejo told reporters Wednesday.

The task force will be headed by the BFAR regional chief, with the PNP regional director as deputy commander.

In a statement, Carlos said the creation of the task force will harmonize the efforts of the fisheries bureau and the police in enforcing fishery laws.

“The police will not tolerate illegal fishing activities in the region. Rest assured of our immediate and impartial action in any acts violating our Fisheries Code,” Carlos added.

The police official revealed that on Sept. 16, at least 21 illegal fishers were arrested in Samar and Southern Leyte provinces.

Seized from them were motorized boats, fishing gears, and prohibited fish nets.

In 2017, the PNP arrested 2,208 illegal fishers during the conduct of 555 anti-illegal fishing operations.

In the same year, it seized PHP58.56 million worth of fish and fishing paraphernalia and filed 51 cases.

Albaladejo said that aside from PNP, the fisheries bureau will also sign a memorandum of understanding with other law enforcement agencies of the national government. It will be drafted by the sub-committee on illegal fishing and aquatic environment protection.

BFAR pushed for partnership with law enforcement agencies noting that fishery production in Eastern Visayas dropped by 29 percent from 37,607 metric tons (MT) in the first quarter of 2017 to 26,704 MT in the first quarter of 2018.

All provinces registered decreases in fishery production, except Samar, which registered a 24.5-percent increase in the first three months of 2018. Leyte recorded the highest decrease at 68.4 percent during the period. (SQM/PNA)