7 Vietnamese poachers arrested off Subic

MANILA, Philippines - Seven suspected Vietnamese poachers were caught some 16 nautical miles off Subic, Zambales on Monday.

Acting Coast Guard spokesman Commander Geny Basilio identified them as boat captain and owner Pham Minh Ouoc, 54; mechanic Nguyen Huynh Duc, 31; and crewmembers Le Van Muoi, 31; Nguyen Van Tu, 41; Nguyen Binh 40; Ngo Van Tuan, 28; and Truong Van Luan, 25.

The arresting officers were from the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Investigation showed monitoring control and surveillance (MCS) vessels 3008 and 1103 were on patrol at around 11:13 a.m. of April 29 when they spotted a Vietnamese vessel reportedly in the act of hauling in fishnet from the waters.

Coast Guard and BFAR officers boarded the ship, inspected it and checked the documents, license and nationality of those on board.

They discovered that a certain Pham Minh Ouoc with address at Bing, Vietnam owned the fishing vessel.

Basilio said the seven Vietnamese are currently restricted onboard their ship docked at the Subic Fishport and are under guard.

“We have a hotline with the Vietnamese Coast Guard,” he said. “We have informed them about this incident. We would also be informing the embassy of Vietnam about the incident.”

Basilio said the BFAR will decide what case could be filed against the seven Vietnamese.

Poachers have been known to intrude in Philippine waters, he added.

During this time of the year plenty of fish like tuna are found at the northwestern part of the country, Basilio said.