by Rey Anthony Chiu

Tagbilaran City (18 October) -- Illegally fishing in the proximity of the rare Danajon reefs, a Bacolod-based commercial fishing fleet ended at the end of the net spread by the award winning Coastal Law Enforcement Council I (CLEC) as the campaign netted what they considered as a big fish last week.

A joint team of the Philippine National Police elements of Tubigon led by Police Inspector Arthur dela Rosa, and two teams from the Regional Mobile group, Bohol’s First Congressional District fish wardens apprehended commercial fishing boat poaching in nearby Bilangbilangan Islet, off Tubigon.

According to initial reports, the arrest that was made on the crew of FB Carmelina 16, turned tense when the crew-members of the boat owned by the Bacolod-based Willy de Asis, refused to go with the apprehending team.

The boat, owned by De Asis, one of the big-name commercial fishing fleets in Bacolod fished using purse seine method.

In a radio interview, SPO1 Panfilo Urfano Jr. of the Tubigon PNP, the CLEC 1 team requested for back-up when the boat crew initially refused to go with the arresting team.

The crew however eventually cooperated after and the boat was boarded and after they were appraised of the arrest. They then followed the arresting team to Tubigon town.

Following the apprehension, illegal fishing charges were filed against the boat officers led by boat captain Eduardo Tuburan and master fisherman Jobert Conde.

Charges of violations of section 90 of Republic Act 8550, or the Fisheries Code of the Philippines have been charged for the fishers.

The charges against the 23 other crew-members however were not included in the initial batch, possibly due to space limitations in the lock up jail.

While Tuburan and Conde were detained at the Tubigon PNP lock-up jail, the rest of the crew were allowed to stay in the boat which was docked at the Tubigon wharf.