DA-BFAR ENFORCERS SWIPE HULBOT-HULBOT VESSELS AS FIGHT AGAINST IUUF INTENSIFIES

IPIL, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY – BFAR Provincial Fishery Officer Lolita Toribio sharply warns illegal
fishers from continuing with their unlawful fishing operations in Sibugay waters as Fisheries
Protection and Law Enforcement Group (FPLEG) apprehended two (2) Modified Danish Seine
boats, locally known as Hulbot-hulbot, off the coast of Buluan and Pandilusan Islands, Sibugay Bay.

The capture of the banned vessels was a result of the “Operation Young Blood”, a joint seaborne
patrol maneuver against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF), conducted by BFAR IX
FPLEG Team 4 in coordination with the 44th IB Black Knight Company Patrol Base Buluan on April
19, 2022.

The offenders were charged with violation of the Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No 246-1
series of 2018 which banned the use and operation of Danish Seine and Modified Danish Seine in
Philippine Waters. Moreover, the same violators were found to have fished using gears that destroy
the coral reefs and marine habitat in contravention of Section 97 of the Amended Philippine
Fisheries Code.

In the course of the seaborne operation, two (2) fish carrier vessels were intercepted and were
found to have been operating without license or permit to operate which is considered as
unauthorized fishing, a breach of RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654.

The owners and captains of the apprehended fishing vessels were issued with the proper Notices of
Violation and appropriate cases were subsequently filed with the BFAR IX Adjudication Committee
for settlement. The Office of Municipal Agriculturist under Local Government of Ipil took the
custody of the seized items of evidence which include bancas, fishing nets, tom weight, scareline,
propeller, engines, ice boxes and rudder.

The law enforcement activity is also an answer to the request for intervention from the MFARMC of
Ipil demonstrating the agency’s full commitment to harmonizing the government’s efforts and
ensuring the success of the drive to stop and prevent IUU fishing in Zamboanga Sibugay and the
entire region.