The Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force apprehended a fishing vessel engaged in illegal Danish Seine fishing on May 17, 2025, off the coast of Bantigui Island, Barangay Lantangan, Carles, Iloilo.
The seaborne patrol, conducted on board Iloilo Provincial Patrol Speed Boat No. 1, intercepted a super hulbot F/B Seahorse, which was found using banned Danish Seine fishing gear—an ecologically destructive method prohibited under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) 246-1 in relation to Section 97 of Republic Act 10654 (Amended Fisheries Code of the Philippines).
The operation led to the apprehension of the boat captain with his crew of 12 fishermen.
However, only the captain was held in custody and turned over to Carles Municipal Police Station, while his crew were released after being cleared of direct violation under the penal provisions of the law.
Confiscated from the vessel were various illegal fishing paraphernalia, including one unit Isuzu diesel engine, a Danish Seine fishing net, six plastic drums filled with diesel fuel, and ten tubs of fish estimated to be worth around Php 20,000.
This operation is part of the ongoing intensified campaign of the Iloilo Provincial Government against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
📷Raul Banias
#morprogresiloilo