BFAR director Malcolm I. Sarmiento, Jr. said in a report to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, that the operations were launched in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court (SC) to clean up Manila Bay. he added that BFAR is bent on restoring marine life in Manila Bay and helping local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan in sustaining the fisheries and aquatic resources in Manila Bay.
According to him there had been a lot of interventions in the past, mostly in collaboration with the LGUs and the local fisher folk organizations of these municipalities, even providing them with alternative livelihoods, but despite all these efforts, many illegal fishing activities continue to prevail.
He informed that the seized fishermen were charged of violating Sec. 86 or conducting unauthorized fishing, Sec. 89 or the use of fine-meshed nets, Sec. 90, which prohibits the use of active gears and Sec. 104 of the Fisheries Code, also known as Republic Act 550. All 17 fishing boats are now in the custody of the PCG at Sangley Pt. in Cavite City.
