SAN ANTONIO, Zambales – Nine fishermen on board two motorized banca were arrested by joint operatives of 301st Maritime Police Station and San Antonio PNP while illegally fishing within the waters of Sitio Silangin , Ba- rangay Pundakit of this town.
Senior Inspector Jonathan Bardaje, chief of San Antonio police, identified the suspects as David Continado, 40, Paterno Evangelista, 52, Elvin Yaon, 31, Jeffrey Tradio, 42, Valbueno Arong, 59, Ricky Atim, 49, Jojo Amorin, 24, Winefredo Mendez, 23, and Malbert Agustin y Gaylan, 47, all of Sitio Nagyantok, Barangay Cawag, Subic town.
Report said the suspects were caught in the act of fishing for aquarium fishes.
Confiscated from the suspects were two motorized banca, three oxygen tanks, two compressor tanks, two compressors, six rolls of compressor hose, seven fishing nets, four small nets with handle (pangsalok), three improvised belts, one roll of yellow rope, one styro box, 50 oxygenated plastic bags containing assorted tropical aquarium fishes, and two large plastic bags with assorted empty plastics for aquarium fish.
The suspects now face charges for violation of RA 8550 as Amended by RA 10654 (illegal fishing) before the Zambales Provincial Prosecutors Office in Iba, Zambales.
