CARLES, ILOILO – After a series of apprehension of dynamite fishermen in this northern town of Iloilo, Mayor Arnold Betita warned fishermen they will not get a permit to operate if they will not stop using dynamite.
Betita issued this statement during a dialog with at least 100 fishermen of Carles, town and barangay officials, and representatives of the Iloilo provincial government and the police last April 24.
Among those who attended were Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, Provincial Agriculturist Ildefonso Toledo, Iloilo Provincial Police Office director Sr. Supt. Gil Lebin and Provincial Board Member Jett Rojas (5th district).
The mayor’s presence in the dialog showed his support of Governor Arthur Defensor’s effort to stop illegal fishing in the province, said Banias who added that the fishermen were agreeable to the call to stop the use of dynamite in this town.
A manifesto for this agreement was being prepared by authorities for signing by the fishermen, especially the operators of baling (a fishing boat using dynamites in catching fish).
Earlier, operators of hulbot-hulbot in the towns of San Dionisio, Ajuy and Concepcion signed separate manifestos stopping their operations in support of the provincial government’s anti-illegal fishing drive.
Banias said Betita will still be conducting additional consultations regarding the plan to adopt a similar move.
Banias warned illegal fishing operators to stop their activities as the province now has the capacity to apprehend all of them considering that four bigger and faster patrol boats are actively operating in the coastal areas along the northern part of Iloilo. - THE FREEMAN