Capitol team seizes blasted fish

CEBU, Philippines - It may be a small catch but at least the six hours operation of the Team Eskina of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force yesterday was not a waste of time.

The team led by Rudillo Codilla established their regular market denial operation in Danao City at 4:00 in the morning and latter transferred in Compostela.

At past 10:00 in the morning, the team flagged down a truck bearing plate number MFE 431 loaded with 20 boxes of assorted fishes.

Codilla who is also a fish examiner himself checked the fish and found two boxes of locally known as tamban tuloy to have been blasted.

He said that they released the truck with the rest of the assorted fish to be delivered to Pasil Fish Market in Cebu City.

Codilla explained that the truck driver cannot be held liable for the illegally caught fish as he was only hired to pick up the boxes of fish in Mahawak, Medellin in northern Cebu.

The two boxes of illegally caught fish were brought to the Capitol before these were donated to the Sister’s of Mary School.

Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez was not alarmed over reports that most confiscated fish were from his town.

“Naandan naman gyud na nga docking area nang dapita, nahimo nang terminal ba,” Ramirez told The Freeman.

Ramirez said that there is only one fish examiner in his town who cannot do all the examinations of the volumes of fish coming from the neighboring islands and provinces.

He is thankful that the task force conducts operations to apprehend trucks loaded with fish unexamined in his town.

Meanwhile, eight fishermen were apprehended and were released last Thursday for illegally fishing in the municipal waters of Barangay Poblacion, Tabuelan town.

SPO1 Adolfo Ballovar of Tabuelan Police Station, who led the arresting team, said the illegal fishers were made to pay a fine of P100,000 for violating Tabuelan’s municipal ordinance No.1 series of 2010.

Ballovar said they caught the suspects fishing 14 kilometers from Tabuelan’s shores or within the 15-kilometer boundary, at 2:30 am last Wednesday.

He identified the suspects as Pedro Almullas, 40, the ship captain; crew Johnny Desucatan, 34; Junal Martinez, 25; Alex Tredes, 23; Conrado Marijuan, 31; Roberto Andrino, 41; Joseph Trucio, 26; and Romeo Repolon, 43. Almullas and Desucatan are both from Bantayan Island while the rest are from Cadiz, Negros Occidental.

They were onboard Marcris XI, which is owned by one Renato Coralles of Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

Ballovar said they received information that the said suspects have been fishing in the waters of Tabuelan for the past two days. They then caught the suspects, who did not deny the accusation.

The police officer further said that the fishing boat owner made a compromise with the municipality of Tabuelan and paid P80,000. The fishermen were then released the following day.

Ballovar said the same fishermen were also apprehended in San Remigio town for the same offense. They were then made to pay a fine of P150,000.  (FREEMAN)