Illegal fishers are running rampant in the seas off Caramoran and Pandan, with top police officials allegedly looking the other way in exchange for hefty bribes.
A source who asked for anonymity told the Tribune that at least six illegal fishers from Caramoran are regularly each giving a ranking PNP officer P4,000 a month plus “good” fish from their harvest in the seas around Palumbanes island, which is about 30 minutes sea travel from the población.
The return of illegal fishing, done mostly through the use of compressors and noxious substances like sodium cyanide, has serious affected the daily catch of marginal fishermen who comprise residents who make their living off the sea.
One of the illegal fishers use five motorized bancas while the other has three bancas engaged in the same harmful fishing.
Each operation reportedly nets around 20 pieces of live lapu-lapu as well as sea cucumber and octopus, with the haul brought to Tabaco City and sold for at least P100,000.
It is claimed that the illegal fishing activities have been reported to the police authorities but nothing has been done about it.
The source was not able to clarify if the same report had been brought to Mayor Glenda Aguilar.
According to the source, a barangay official in Toytoy, which covers Palumbanes, was also engaged in illegal fishing before he was elected to office.
The official is also a relative of two illegal fishers included in the list the source forwarded to the Tribune.
Last week, when the local media began airing report about the rampant illegal fishing and irregularities in the police force, the illegal fishers were allegedly advised to temporarily stop their activities.