Fishing vessel intercepted in Malampaya

By Ronron
May 5, 2005

A fishing vessel which accidentally intruded into the restricted area of Malampaya waters in Palawan was intercepted last Tuesday by the Philippine Navy.

In a statement, the Philippine Navy said MBCA Queen Mathet was spotted by Navy patrol gunboat BRP Heracleo Alano floating at 400 yards northwest off the Malampaya Natural Gas Power Project (MNGPP) platform which is considered an exclusion zone.

BRP Heracleo Alano is one of the Navy’s floating assets deployed in the waters of Palawan. The Navy has stepped up its security operations in said area which is believed to be vulnerable to terror attacks.

“(The owner’s) papers were found to be valid but (he) and the boat’s six-member crew were not aware of Malampaya’s exclusion zone. They were advised not to go fishing in the area again,” the Navy’s statement said.

MBCA Queen Mathet was escorted by the Navy gunboat to El Nido pier in Palawan.

Navy chief Vice Admiral Ernesto de Leon had directed Navy intelligence units to sustain the conduct of intelligence operations to negate sea-bed attacks of terror and threat groups in the country, particularly at Malampaya.

The Malampaya natural gas project is the largest infrastructure project in the country and is currently supplying some 30 percent of the over-all power requirement in Luzon./DMS