The Philippine Maritime Police (PNP Maritime) and the Philippine Coastguard (PCG) has assured their support to the campaign of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) in the region’s territorial waters.
Police Senior Inspector Pedro Castellones Gorre, Jr. of the Maritime Police, during the opening of the Farmers and Fisherfolk month, said they will continue to be the bureau’s partner in the implementation of RA 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.
We believe that with the permanent presence of a more sophisticated patrol boats in the province, we can now effect among campaign, working together with our partner agencies, Gorre stressed.
As a result of such deployment, BFAR reported that a day after the deployment of the patrol boat, four fishermen were arrested and are now facing charges in court for using dynamite in fishing, a blatant violation under Section 86 of the fisheries code.
Gorre credited the fast-speed patrol boat as they were able to catch up with the suspects after an attempt to evade arrests.
Philippine Information Agency (PIA)