Protecting wild fisheries

Atty. Gloria Estenzo-Ramos

The Negros Island Regional Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the pro-active Al Orolfo, reminded us of the celebration of March 3 as the World Wildlife Day. The day coincides with the anniversary of the adoption in 1973 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES’ crucial role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the species’ survival cannot be overemphasized.

The announcement was timely as we were at the gathering among various enforcement agencies and non-government organizations working together to protect wild fisheries and the rich biodiversity of Tañon Strait. This helps ensures sustainable livelihood for our subsistence fisherfolk and coastal residents.

Apart from the DENR led by the Biodiversity Management Bureau Director Mundita Lim, Director Emma Melana of Region 7, Director Orolfo and the Park Superintendent Prospero Lendio and staff, representatives from the Cebu provincial government, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine National Police and the Maritime Group, the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Army, National Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Presidential Assistant in the Visayas and the Environment Ombudsman were on hand and interacted with leaders from the civil society sector and with Norlan Pagal, the 2016 Ocean Hero awardee from San Remigio, Cebu.

There were commitments of implementation of our fisheries and conservation laws and sharing of the much-welcome news – that is, that fish catch is increasing and those species of fish not seen for a long time are starting to come back. Fish prices have dropped, allowing many to now eat fish, instead of selling them to buy rice for their needs.

Stories of neighbors bringing fish to the house of enforcers while they do their job or overflowing fish-filled bancas stirs the heart. The community believes that fish prices are now affordable because there is implementation of our fisheries laws and regulations in the area, which have allowed it to heal from rapacious illegal fishing.

We still remember the desperate faces of our subsistence fisherfolk in 2015, during focus group discussions, who looked at the encroachment of commercial fishers in the protected area as the reason for their state of deprivation. They said that when these vessels come, they take out everything with them, helpless with their empty catch for four or five days.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol’s pronouncement that by end of June this year, local chief executives in coastal communities who allow illegal fishing in their municipal waters will be held accountable is a big step in the right direction. This should facilitate the no-nonsense and long overdue implementation of our laws in the municipal waters nationwide.

The agriculture department through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, likewise recognized outstanding coastal communities which combat illegal fishing and establish marine protected areas, among other criteria, with substantial prize of P60 million in livelihood support funds.

For so long, there was impunity in allowing the banned commercial fishing in municipal waters despite the clear constitutional edict that subsistence fisherfolk have the preferential access to their traditional fishing grounds. The Fisheries Code, now strengthened by RA 10654, expressly disallowed illegal fishing and now requires vessel monitoring for each commercial fishing vessel.

The enforcement agencies jointly collaborating in sea-borne patrolling in Tañon Strait and prosecuting violators are giving hope to a brighter tomorrow especially for many of our fisherfolk and families.

We are certainly on track with the road map provided by the Tañon Strait General Management Plan for sustainable management of fisheries in one of the country’s unique biodiversity corridor and marine protected area. It is something that we all should be proud of.

The event at the Protected Area Office was a culmination of an almost weeklong activities where leaders of Oceana, Rare and Bloomberg Philanthropies interacted with the local chief executives of the provinces, cities and municipalities in the protected area. Oceana and Rare are partners in Bloomberg’s ground-breaking Vibrant Oceans Initiative which uses an integrated strategy to reform local and industrial fishing simultaneously and curb overfishing and having abundant marine resources and vibrant oceans. Vibrant Oceans Initiative is “a $53 million, 5-year effort to boost fish populations in Brazil, the Philippines and Chile. Reforming fishing practices in these countries will revitalize 7% of the world’s fisheries.”

(https://www.bloomberg.org/program/environment/vibrant-oceans)

The distinct Tañon Strait partnership is paving the way to address poverty and food security issues hounding our islands, sustainable livelihoods and revitalize the health of our marine ecosystems. It is definitely replicable nationwide and in other parts of the globe.