La Union police step up crackdown on dynamite fishing

SAN FERNANDO CITY – A day after arresting fishermen from Dagupan City for using the outlawed fine-mesh nets, the La Union police have trained their sights on fishers using dynamites. The crackdown was launched after authorities confiscated Wednesday almost 70 kilos of fish from the city market that were allegedly harvested using dynamite. Police said the vendor from Barangay Baccuit in Bauang, La Union, was asked to pay P2,000 for violation of the Fishery Code of the Philippines. The fish were given away to charitable institutions. Earlier in the week, 21 fishermen from Dagupan City were detained in the Caba police station for using fine-mesh net. Caba Police Chief Senior Inspector Bernabe Oribello said operatives also confiscated 25 banyeras or fish buckets from a fishing boat. They are also preparing charges against the 21 fishermen for violation of Republic Act 8550 otherwise known as the New Philippine Fishery Code, including the Fishery Administrative Order 222. The fishing boat was spotted fishing last Monday off Santiago Norte in Caba. - GMANews.TV