The Negros Occidental Maritime Police Station conducted a market denial operation and random fish examination at the Cadiz Public Market in Barangay Zone IV, Cadiz City, on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The activity is aimed at educating fish vendors and local fishermen on the strict prohibition versus selling fish caught through dynamite fishing, the Bacolod City Maritime Police Station-Negros Occidental said in a statement Wednesday, Jan. 28.
It also highlighted the ban on trading endangered marine species, including stingrays, all shark species, seahorses, wild milkfish, and other protected aquatic life.
This initiative was launched to help maintain the region’s ecological balance and enhance the quality of local fish stocks and marine resources, the Bacolod City Maritime Police Station-Negros Occidental said.
The Cadiz operation was undertaken in collaboration with the City Agriculture Fish Examiners and the City Economic Enterprise Management Office (CEEMO) of Cadiz City.
The operation underscores the ongoing commitment of the PNP Maritime Group to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing while protecting the country’s vital marine biodiversity, it added.*