TACLOBAN CITY –– Authorities apprehended Wednesday, June 9, a fishing vessel for illegally transporting 1,200 kilograms of green mussels or “tahong” worth around P60,000.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said the vessel owner failed to present a local transport permit and an auxiliary invoice from the origin of the mussels.
The BFAR said they have been receiving reports about some residents collecting mussels at the Carigara Bay in Leyte despite the presence of red tide toxin.
The owner of the vessel will be charged for violating the Fisheries Administrative Orders 233 and 235, which provide a penalty of more than P10,000 and imprisonment of up to one year if proven guilty.
BFAR earlier released an advisory putting 11 bays and coastal waters in Eastern Visayas under shellfish ban or the prohibition of gathering, transporting, and selling of all types of shellfish due to the presence of red tide toxin.