The shoreline in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Santa Fe Police are asking the fishermen from neighboring towns to coordinate with the government and secure permits before they fish in the waters of the town.
This, after five fishermen were again caught fishing in the seawaters of Barangay Okoy, without permits at around 5 a.m. this Sunday morning, May 24, 2020.
The five fishermen were from Barangay Sillon, Bantayan town, Cebu and violated the municipal ordinance of illegal fishing.
According to Police Staff Sergeant Emmanuel Paran, the five men were already the third batch caught this week by the patrolling police and coastal patrol for illegal fishing.
Although the fishermen were first time offenders and were made to pay a penalty of P1,500 each before they were released, Paran said they were warned just like how the others caught before them were warned — that should they be caught again, they would land in jail with charges.
“Unta mohunong na sila kay dili kabalo man na sila nga bawal na (Hopefully they would no longer repeat what they have done because they already know what they did was not allowed),” said Paran.
Paran said that Coastal Patrol team were always conducting inspections around the waters of the town which would make it easy to spot those who would try to fish in the town’s territory without permits./dbs