8 fishermen using explosives nabbed in Maguindanao

MAGUINDANAO - Invoking “citizens’ arrest,” Moro environmentalists on Monday hauled to jail eight people caught using dynamites in a fishing ground two miles off Parang town.

Members of Parang’s Bantay Dagat, a multi-sectoral group helping the local government protect the town’s territorial seas from cyanide and blast fishing, recovered from the fishermen assorted fish caught using dynamites and materials for fabrication of explosives for blast fishing.

Bantay Dagat chairman Tony Mosim said they carried out citizens’ arrest when they learned that the eight fishermen were using explosives in Illana Bay, which they are guarding against dynamite and cyanide fishing.

Parang Mayor Ibrahim Ibay said that the eight fishermen are now in the custody of the Parang municipal police.

The local government of Parang is imposing a local ordinance that bans dynamite and cyanide fishing in its municipal waters.