Meeting Maria Damanaki last month in Spain was a privilege that I will always cherish. She is tough and determined – qualities which have made her the much-respected global sustainable leader of the world.
We will definitely miss her, as her term as European Union (EU) Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is about to end. She leaves a strong foundation for her successor to take on the arduous task of mainstreaming sustainability in the fisheries sector, not just in EU but with the rest of the world.
Maria Damanaki is leaving a legacy that the world and future generations will forever be grateful for.
She proved that sustainable fisheries management can be a reality if political will exists and decisions are made by those directly affected.
She leaves the office satisfied that her goals of mainstreaming sustainability and determined fight to stop illegal fishing are becoming a reality. She herself acknowledges in her blog that the fight against illegal fishing was “one of the cornerstones” of her five-year mandate as EU Fisheries Commissioner.
Definitely, illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) should no longer be tolerated. Its deleterious impacts consist of fish stocks depletion, devastation of marine ecosystems and habitats, with small fisherfolks at a clear disadvantage and at the mercy of those who fish with impunity, and some with the local authorities looking the other way.
Under her resolute and much-admired leadership, the EU is now seen as the world’s leading light in fighting, preventing and deterring IUU fishing. It has shown consistency in requiring sustainable fishing practices not just for the vessels fishing within EU but outside of it, including countries which trade with EU.
Definitely, under Maria Damanaki’s stewardship, it has not blinked when it bans the entry of fish and fish products by flag vessels of countries which are not in compliance with the standards set by the EU rules especially the Common Fisheries Policy. Harsh perhaps, but it must be done if we are serious in fighting overfishing and protecting marine habitats and livelihoods of small fisherfolk.
Sri Lanka is the latest country to face stiff trade sanctions by EU because of its failure to fight IUU fishing. It was issued last week a red card by EU. It means that it is barred from selling its fish to any EU members three months after the publication of the ban. EU is the worlds’ biggest market where two thirds of its fish resources are imported.
According to Ms. Damanaki, “Since 2012, 11 non-EU countries have been handed a first warning that if no action is taken the EU would impose a trade ban against the import of illegally caught fish in its territory.”
Unknown to many, even by our local political authorities, our country is among those who received the first warning, the yellow card, in June this year.
It is encouraging that our government is trying to cooperate more pro-actively not just for us to get out of that list but to ensure sustainable management of our fisheries.
Apart from strengthened enforcement work, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) under National Director Asis Perez has declared closed seasons in some areas for sardines.
It banned the use of modified Danish seine known as hulbot hulbot, for which it is facing eight suits from affected commercial fishers. Recently, it issued Memorandum Circular 253 which declared a moratorium on issuance of commercial fishing permits. BFAR admits of overfishing and the urgent need to reduce the level of fishing.
In the halls of our national lawmaking bodies, several amendments to make the Fisheries Code more responsive to the exigencies of the times and fill in the gaps to make sustainable fisheries real are up for deliberations by our lawmakers.
The consortium of nongovernment organizations and people’s organizations are busy consolidating the comments and proposals from the coastal communities and other stakeholders.
The long-overdue transformation of BFAR to become a department, with the head holding a cabinet rank, should be seriously considered. The poorest of the poor in this country are the fisherfolks, not to forget that we are an archipelago, aside from the fact that we have serious fish stock depletion.
Challenges and reforms in the fisheries sector will readily have the ear of the President when a Department of Fisheries and Oceans is finally created.
The yellow card tagging of the Philippines by EU Commission should be a wake up call for us to move fast to put in place mechanisms and measures to prioritize sustainable fisheries management.
The local authorities have to be more vigilant in enforcing our fisheries laws, with the supervising LGUs and the President holdin g them accountable for their failure to do so, the way that Maria Damanaki and the European Commission have successfully done so.