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4 governors meet today for protection of Visayan Sea

By: Melissa Q. Cabahug June 05,2015 - 11:23 AM

Environmentalist lawyer Antonio Oposa speaks about the importance of the Visayan Sea during the Visayan Sea Summit in 2011. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

Environmentalist lawyer Antonio Oposa speaks about the importance of the Visayan Sea during the Visayan Sea Summit in 2011. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

Four governors, in the Visayas, including Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, will be meeting today  in Sta. Fe town in Bantayan island to discuss updates and ways to enforce   laws in protecting the  Visayan Sea.

In November last year, the governors signed a resolution to declare the Visayan Sea  a protected area. They asked  President Aquino to declare the waters beyond the 15-kilometer radius a protected area so that commercial fishing within the area will be stopped.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. and Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lañete with Andres Bojos, regional director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7 will be  there.

The Visayan Sea is located within the territorial waters of northern Cebu, northern Negros, northeastern Iloilo and southern Masbate.

It is home to  488 of  500 endangered coral species and 12,000 species of seashells in the country.

Davide said  illegal fishing has caused the destruction and decline of marine resources.

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) will also be awarding Bantay Dagat volunteers who have showed “best practices” in securing the Visayan Sea.

PENRO head Czareem Joseph Estella said they plan to  buy patrol boats   to deter illegal fishing activities in the province.

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TAGS: Gov. Hilario Davide III, Visayan Sea, World Environment Day
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