Three (3) unlicensed Commercial Fishing Vessels (CFVs) using trawl gears and Modified Danish Seine (MDS) while fishing within the municipal waters of Calbayog and Sto. Ñino in Samar

Three (3) unlicensed Commercial Fishing Vessels (CFVs) using trawl gears and Modified Danish Seine (MDS) while fishing within the municipal waters of Calbayog and Sto. Ñino in Samar were caught during the joint seaborne operation of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 8 Enforcement and Regional Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance Operations Center (ERMSOC), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy (PN) on February 7 and 8, 2024.

The apprehending team seized a total of 1,225 kilograms of fish from the said CFVS, of which 1,185 kilograms were from the apprehended two CFVs using hulbot-hulbot fishing gears while fishing within Sto. Ñino and 20 kilos from the CFVs using trawl fishing gear in Calbayog, Samar. Said seized catch were turned-over to Carigara District Hospital and the Local Government Unit (LGU) Carigara through their Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office (MDRRMO) for proper disposition.

The boat captain, and crew of the former CFV has been released, whereas the three highest officers of the latter 2 CFVs are still to be identified since both vessels sped away leading to a hot pursuit. Despite receiving several instructions from the law enforcement team to stop and attempt to ship side, the boat captain and crew persisted in navigating and executing dangerous maneuvers. Simultaneously, they disposed of their fishing gears by throwing them overboard. The apprehending team called for reinforcement and successfully located both vessels docked and abandoned at Calbayog City Port on the evening of the same day. After initial processing and documentation, one FV was towed to the BFAR 8 impounding area on the morning of February 9, 2024, while the other will be towed in the coming days. To date, ERMSOC 8 is preparing the cases to be filed against the alleged boat operators of these CFVs and will be conducting follow-up operations in line with the stringent implementation of the amended Fisheries Code of the Philippines.

Use of active gears such as trawl and MDS in municipal waters is a violation of Section 95 (Use of Active Gear in Municipal Waters, Bays and Other Fishery Management Areas) of RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654. Highest three officers of the apprehended CFVs may face a fine ranging from Php50,000 to Php100,000 and an imprisonment of two (2) years to six (6) years, if found guilty.

Further, the alleged owner, operator, boat captain, masterfisher, and recruiter/organizer of the two (2) CFVs using MDS may face a penalty as high as Php2M and imprisonment of two (2) to 10 years for violating FAO 246-1 (Banning of Operation of Danish Seine and Modified Danish Seine in Philippine Waters) and other sections of the amended Fisheries Code of the Philippines. They will also incur an additional administrative fine ranging from Php1M to Php2M for violating Section 115 (Obstruction to Fishery Law Enforcement Officer).

BFAR 8 will deploy additional floating assets in Samar Sea to significantly deter IUUF in this hotspot area. Said collaborative seaborne operation aims to implement rigorous monitoring and protection of our fisheries and marine resources in Eastern Visayas, especially in the Samar Sea, which is known to be a hotspot for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) activities in the region.