Tenants, suppliers, or traders doing business at the Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros (FTMON) in Bacolod City are warned against the sale, possession, or trade of illegally-caught or taken fish.
In Memorandum Order No. 24-018 dated Aug. 12, the FTMON focal person stressed that the sale, possession, or dealing of illegally-caught or taken fish is strictly prohibited within the premises of the FTMON along North Capitol Road corner San Juan Street in Bacolod City.
This is in compliance to Section 126 of the Fisheries Code, as amended, which states that “it is unlawful to ship, commercially transport, offer for sale, sell, import, export, or have custody, control, or possession of, or to deal in or in any manner, dispose of any fish or species caught, taken, or retained in violation of this Code.”
Violators shall suffer imprisonment from six months to two years, and fine of eight times the value of the species, or from P100,000 to half-a-million pesos, whichever is higher, and the confiscation of the fish or fishery products and suspension or revocation of registration or license.
“FTMON is fully committed to cooperating with authorities to ensure that this law is strictly followed,” the memo, noted by Provincial Legal Officer/Acting Administrator, Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. and Economic Enterprise Development Department officer-in-charge Shiela Fuentes, added.
“We will actively work with law enforcement and regulatory agencies to prevent any illegally caught or taken fish from entering or being sold within our premises. This includes taking all necessary measures to identify and catch any culprit involved in such illegal activities.
“Any tenant, supplier, or trader found in violation of this directive will face immediate and severe consequences, including but not limited to the termination of lease agreements and reporting to relevant authorities for legal action,” the memo added.
“FTMON is dedicated to maintaining the integrity and sustainability of our fisheries, and we require your full cooperation in this endeavor. No illegally caught or taken fish shall be tolerated within FTMON,” it added.
The memo was issued after personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Fisheries Protection and Law Enforcement Group, in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police, intercepted “a significant quantity of illegally obtained fishery products at FTMON Aug. 11, and confirmed to have been caught using explosives, a practice that is not only unlawful but also harmful to our marine environment,” a Capitol press release said. ||
