Six persons were arrested on Sunday for trawl fishing on the waters of Barangay Luyang in San Remegio town, north of Cebu City which is part of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.
Arrested were Rene Paspe, 48; Cyril Gempesao, 48; Raffy Paspe, 20; Jerry Sedurita, 31; Ringo Magno, 38; and Raymart Meñoza, 18.
Paspe is the ship captain of FB Dodoy, which was caught carrying five basins of assorted fish.
Former president Fidel Ramos issued on May 27, 1998 President Proclamation No. 1234 declaring Tañon Strait as a protected seascape.
Members of San Remegio’s Oplan Kalikasan led by PO1 Jefferson Guinsisana and deputized ranger Romelito Lirasan were patrolling the town’s territorial waters when they chanced upon the suspects, who were trawl fishing on the waters of Barangay Luyang around 5:54 a.m. on Sunday.
The group identified a certain Ramon Bargo, 55, as owner of their fishing boat.
When asked how long they have been trawl fishing, Paspe replied that it was the first time that they went into sea and immediately got caught by authorities.
PO3 Dante Teaño of the San Remegio Police Station said while they are a fishing community, it has been two years since the last time that they caught people involved in trawl fishing.
“Daghan man ang mananagat dinhi. Kasagaran kay dili man commercial, sa mga taga-dinhi ra pud. Pero naa gihapo’y mga commercial nga mangingisda, dili lang sila mangisda duol sa among lugar” (There are a lot of fishermen in our area. Most of them do not engage in commercial fishing operations. Still, commercial fishing operators come here to fish, but they try to keep their distance), he said.
The six suspects are now detained at the San Remegio Police Station while the confiscated fish were turned over to the town’s Bantay Dagat office. / CNU Intern Sheen Manigo