Northern Iloilo is an illegal fishing hotspot in Western Visayas, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Most of the violations were the use of active gears and encroachment of municipal waters by commercial fishing vessels. Between 2016 to 2018, BFAR Region 6 filed 470 complaints against illegal fishing vessel operators, said Assistant Regional Director Carlito Delfin. Four hundred were already resolved. The municipal waters of northern Iloilo towns – Carles, Balasan, Estancia, Batad, San Dionisio, Concepcion, Ajuy, Barotac Viejo, and Banate – are part of the marine resource-rich Visayan Sea.

Tayona, G. (2019, August 2). 'N. Iloilo illegal fishing hotspot'. Panay News, pp. 1, 14.