Atty. Gloria Estenzo-Ramos
There are many reasons to celebrate recent developments that reflect the persistence and political will of institutions and citizens in safeguarding our planet and people.
Heartwarming is the action of the Cebu provincial government in rejecting the ordinance of Toledo City which allowed commercial fishing in its waters, which happen also to be part of Tañon Strait Protected Seascape. We salute our provincial officials for taking a strong stand to protect the fisheries and marine resources and the livelihood of our artisanal fisherfolks. Non-government organizations and artisanal fisherfolks vigorously hailed the move.
Tañon Strait has suffered from the impunity that prevailed when our fisheries and environmental protection laws were not implemented. Commercial fishing had its heyday, sadly with artisanal fishers pulled deeper into poverty because of overfishing. The declining fish catch was no thanks to the illegal competition from the commercial fishers who are banned from fishing in Tañon Strait.
Tañon Strait ceased to be a “paper park” when its policy-making body called the Protected Area Management Board convened the General Assembly in February 2015, and has met yearly thereafter, despite some “hiccups” including political pressures this year. Its smaller management units have active chairpersons-mayors from the provinces of Cebu, Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental who are sincere in ensuring sustainable co-management of the protected area.
Joint sea-borne enforcement operations are in full swing, despite the backsliding of an environmental agency. Several illegal fishers have been apprehended and convicted, thanks to dedicated law enforcers in our midst who are determined to do their job well.
It must be borne in mind that RA 11038 referred to as the “Expanded National Integrated Protected. Areas System Act of 2018” (ENIPAS) is a very strong law mainstreaming sustainable management and protection of our fisheries, wildlife and biologically significant areas and us, as we all depend on the health of our interconnected ecosystems.
The law has strong accountability mechanisms where the dereliction of duty by authorities, whether national or local, upon conviction, can lead them to be perpetually disqualified from public service.
Touching was seeing in Facebook recently the happy faces of our small-scale fisherfolks partaking of the bountiful catch which they attribute to better enforcement in the area.
They do not ask for more from the government — only that they seriously implement the law.
Congratulations to them as for the first time in the history of Tañon Strait, the artisanal fisherfolks have united and formed the Tañon Strait Fisherfolk Federation.
The full implementation of the ENIPAS Act and the amended Fisheries Code, if pushed vigorously by government and citizens alike, can help return the bounty of our oceans.
Food security should be a high priority especially as we are all facing the dire impacts of climate change.
The protection of our oceans is a fight that we all must take for the benefit of our children and their children and the life-sustaining support systems.
Padayon!
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