Authorities confiscated up to 46 bottles of homemade explosives allegedly used in blast fishing in Zamboanga City.

Members of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), police, and personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) conducted a maritime operation after receiving an intelligence report that two boats were carrying explosives on the shore in Barangay Mariki.

The three fishermen escaped on board a boat. Authorities seized the bottles containing ammonium nitrate from the other boat left by the suspects.

“Ang intention talaga is blast fishing, manghuhuli sila ng isda using this kind of explosive. Alam naman natin ipinagbabawal,” NFWM Spokesperson, Lt. Chester Ross Cabaltera, said.

According to NFWM, the chemical ammonium nitrate is used mostly in blast fishing.

“Para ba siyang paputok, pag itinapon nila, saktong pag-landing sa dagat sasabog. Sa pamamagitan ng paraan na ganyan, ang paghuli, imbes hindi na huhulihin, dapat malalaking isda, nadadamay yung mga maliit,” Cabaltera added.

The explosives seized were turned over to the PNP Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team.

Authorities are hunting the suspects down, as of this posting.