MAUBAN, Quezon – Authorities arrested four fishermen for blast fishing in the sea of this municipality on August 27.
Danilo Larita Jr. of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 4-A-Fisheries Protection Law Enforcement Group Western Seaboard said Tanggol Kalikasan received information from Mayor Edwin Pastrana regarding blast fishing activities offshore.
The environmental group reported this to Larita who gathered the Bantay Dagat, local police, Coast Guard, and Navy to conduct a seaborne operation.
They spotted a commercial fishing boat FB Darwin & Yolanda with four fishermen – boat captain Ronjel Combalicer, Mark Anthony Capobres, master fisherman; and crew Tyson Comadora and Leanel M. Calleja, all residents of this town – and discovered four pairs of blasting wire and 24 of blasting caps, and “bigas-bigas” or improvised explosives onboard.
Suspects were arrested and face appropriate charges and fishing paraphernalia, including the boat, worth P1.3 million worth was seized and taken ashore here.