BFAR arrests 7 Vietnamese for poaching

FILE PHOTO

SUBIC, Philippines—Seven Vietnamese fishermen were arrested by agents of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for poaching in this town’s waters on Monday.

Nelson Bien, head of BFAR’s regulatory and law enforcement division in Central Luzon, said they also found at least 40 kilograms of tuna and 100 kg of squid in the Vietnamese fishermen’s boat.

Bien said the Vietnamese were presented to the regional trial court in the capital Iba town, Zambales province, for inquest after the BFAR filed a case for poaching against them.

The Vietnamese boat was seen 16 nautical miles off Subic town, Bien said.

“The area where we found the Vietnamese vessel was already within our municipal waters and apparently they [Vietnamese] were aware of that,” he said.

Bien said his office has been receiving reports and complaints from local fishermen about Taiwanese and Vietnamese fishermen illegally fishing within Subic Bay. But it was the first time the BFAR men were able to arrest poachers.

He said the Vietnamese fishermen did not resist when BFAR agents inspected their vessel and arrested them.

He said the Vietnamese pleaded to be released. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon