ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Philippine military on Thursday announced the capture of a Vietnamese fishing boat illegally poaching off Tawi-Tawi province in southern Mindanao. Army Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said the fishing vessel was manned by seven crew when patrolling security forces spotted the boat on Tuesday. “The Vietnamese vessel was caught while fishing illegally in Philippine territory,” he said. “They were all subsequently brought to Turtle Island Municipal Police Station for documentation,” he said, adding that the Vietnamese boat had no pertinent papers or documents allowing them to fish in the Philippines. The boat, according to Vinluan, is now impounded and all its crew are in the custody of the police in the Tawi-Tawi capital town of Bongao.

Source: Manila Times March 25, 2021 16:45 UTC