EIGHT fishermen were apprehended by the joint operatives of the Task Force Lawod of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Provincial Environment and Management Office (Pemo) for illegally catching seahorse.
On July 26, Police Inspector Christopher Garde, Team Leader of Task Force Lawod, along with the other agencies, conducted a joint seaborne operation in the municipal waters of Manapla, which resulted to the apprehension of two unmarked municipal fishing boat using a compressor.
They are also catching seahorse.
The first fishing boat was manned by Welmer Pasigna, 34, along with his three crewmen identified as Vicente Albarico, 40; Arwen Morano, 27; and Jovanie Pilapil, 31, all residents of Barangay Molocaboc, Sagay City.
The owner of the boat was identified as Adela Pidalan, a resident of Barangay Punta Salong, Manapla.
Another boat manned by Pederick Serapino, 26, of Barangay Punta Salong was also caught by the operatives.
Serapino was with Rodrigo Mallorca, 61; Reynaldo Lagnaso, 31; and Mammer Pillipas, 37, all of Barangay 2A in the said town.
The boat was owned by Romelita Abong of Barangay Punta Salong.
The apprehended persons were brought to Manapla Municipal Police Station.
Confiscated from the two boats were 41 pieces of seahorse, Compressor motor, hose, face mask and wooden fins which were believed to use for catching seahorse.
The recovered seahorse is now in the custody of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources while the fishing boat, compressor motor, hose, face mask, and wooden fins were forwarded to the Municipal Agriculture Office.
Charges will be filed against the suspects.
Catching seahorse is considered illegal as they belong to the preserved endangered species of the marine resources.
