TWENTY illegal fishers were arrested off Gato Island waters in Barangay Carnaz, Daanbantayan on Tuesday morning, August 2.
A joint team of police and Bantay Dagat Task Force personnel caught them using zipper and trawl fishing method, locally known as "hulbot-hulbot."
Authorities seized 10 tubs of assorted fish that were turned over to the town's social welfare office.
Arrested were Rogelio Forrosuelo, Leonardo Decape, Victor Salbana, Carlos Forrosuelo, Rey Sua, Rolando Forrosuelo, Eleno Chavez, Nilo Placencia, Rene Caranoo, Renato Ducay, Rafael Forrosuelo, Antonio Giganto, Renato Catalba, Dionisio Mangubat, Teodorico Marabi, Roger Chavez, Noli Santillan, Rafael Villaceran, Johnrey Mangubat Ugbaming, and Ramel Giganto.
Using zipper and trawl are prohibited under the Fisheries Code of the Philippines, which prohibits the use of active fishing gear, a device “characterized by gear movement, and/or the pursuit of the target species by towing, lifting, and pushing the gears, surrounding, covering, dredging, pumping and scaring the target species to impoundments.” (VoxPop Cebu)