5 commercial fishing boats charged for environmental violation

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (February 6, 2018) - Charges for alleged use of motorized equipment without a permit from the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) were filed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 9 office over the weekend against 5 commercial fishing boats who were caught within the waters of Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) in Tawi-Tawi.

Based on the charge sheets filed by Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Ronald D. Gadot at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Tawi-tawi, the five commercial fishing vessels were apprehended by the PNP Maritime Police of  Bonggao, Tawi-Tawi in violation of Section 20(c) of Republic Act 7586 otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act which penalizes the “Use of Motorized Equipment Without a Permit from the Management Board”.

hey were apprehended in the vicinity of Langaan Island, Tawi-Tawi which is part of the Turtle Island Wildlife Sanctuary, a declared protected area and major rookery for the endangered Green Sea Turtle (Cheloniamydas).

The respondents to the case include Wilfredo Manzanares, Verlino G. Fiesta, Randy dela Cruz, Francis Sibullen, Alex del Rosario, Raffy dela Cruz all of Navotas City and Rolando del Rosario from Tacloban City.

Earlier, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has also filed a case against said respondents for violation of fisheries codes. The 5 commercial fishing boats are currently impounded by the Philippine Coast Guard in Bonggao Wharf, Tawi-Tawi.

Presidential Proclamation No. 171 declares Turtle Island Wildlife Sanctuary as a protected area and wildlife sanctuary for endangered marine turtles. In 1996, it became the world’s first transboundary marine protected areas for marine turtles with the signing of an agreement with Malaysia establishing the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA).