10 Vietnamese nabbed for alleged poaching off Calayan Island

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel had arrested nine crew members and a captain of two Vietnamese fishing boats over alleged illegal fishing over the weekend.

According to PCG spokesman Captain Armand Balilo, they received report from the PCG Command Center in Manila that their MCS 3010 chanced upon a Vietnamese fishing boat near the Calayan Island in Cagayan around 1 a.m. on Saturday.

Balilo said PCG personnel from MCS 3010 approached the boat but it suddenly started its engine and fled.

“Dalawang beses binangga ng nasabing fishing boat na may body number na BO 96281ang MCS 3010 hanggang  ito ay maabutan at masakote,” Balilo said in a statement.

“Kaagaad namang hinuli ang kapitan at apat na tripulante. Nagatamo naman ng butas at paagkayupi ang barkong MCS 3010,” he added.

Around 3 a.m., PCG personnel again encountered another Vietnamese fishing boat with a body number of BO 95119. The boat tried to escape but was immediately seized.

Five crew members from the second Vietnamese boat were arrested.

Coast Guard Commander Alejandro Arica, captain of the MCS 3010, said that the seized Vietnamese boats and crew were brought to Sta. Ana, Cagayan to turn them over to Bureau of Fisheries Region 2 for investigation. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News