Illegal fishing persists in 5th District towns
Iloilo -- Illegal fishing remains a priority for the Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) with resurgence of said illegal activity noted in the province.
In a report, The News Today gathered that in the months of January and February, at least 28 persons were arrested for illegal fishing in Northern Iloilo. Operatives of the Estancia Police confiscated thus far 17 fishing vessels and 110 sacks of Ammonium Nitrate used for dynamite fishing. Use of explosives deemed hazardous to the environment has since been strictly prohibited as so stated in the Fisheries Law as adopted by the municipal fishing ordinances.
Senior Superintendent Joel Napoleon Coronel, IPPO Provincial Director confirmed that illegal fishing activities in Fifth District particularly off the waters of Ajuy, Iloilo still exist. Coast Guard team from their end likewise has made a similar report of arrests involving illegal fishers. No immediate information was readily available on the specifics of said arrests.
Coronel in a radio interview asked for help from the people in the community for the success of the campaign of IPPO against illegal fishing.