Looking at the solitary figure of an artisanal fisherfolk in his banca, somewhere in the Cebu portion of Tañon Strait, I tried to imagine what his thoughts were. Is he hopeful of a good catch? Is he thinking of his schoolchildren and his family’s needs, or is he deeply anxious of his growing and still unpaid debts?
One feels a definite pain in the heart at the lonesome sight, especially for those who know that he and his fellow marginal fishers are in the lowest rung of the poverty incidence ladder in our country. Records reveal from our own statistical agency, a fact recognized by the national fisheries agency, that our subsistence fisherfolk are the poorest of the poor.
Considering that we are living in an archipelagic mega-diverse country, and one of the major fish exporters in the world at that, it is distressing situation indeed. If we are able to export so much fish and fish products, why are our small fishers not earning enough to feed themselves and their family?
Our municipal waters are legally reserved for their use. But why are some local chief executives not held accountable when they allow commercial fishers to encroach the area which the Constitution even ordained small fisherfolk to have the preferential access to?
In the competition for the use of our natural resources, the voices of the poor easily get drowned out by those who have the ready ears and helping hand from key decision-makers. The classic example is the offshore drilling conducted in Tañon Strait, a protected seascape, eight years ago with the approval of then President Arroyo, former Governor Garcia and the two mayors from Aloguinsan and Pinamungahan, where the seismic survey and offshore drilling took place. The small fisherfolk were the first to object, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
The controversial project triggered the establishment of a citizens movement to save Tañon Strait from further destruction of the marine habitats and the species and fisherfolk which depend on them for survival. Two suits to stop the drilling ensued. The Supreme Court this year ruled the service contract for oil drilling in Tañon Strait as unconstitutional.
Have things changed since then? The answer has to be qualified. Apart from the still rampant illegal and destructive fishing, the mangroves, seagrass and corals have been under severe pressure from unregulated coastal development and pollution both from households and the commercial sector. Climate change we are all facing exacerbates the environmental degradation and has tremendous effects on our oceans, which constitute seventy percent of the surface of the planet.
The positive development includes a strengthened legal framework for environmental protection as a result of the Supreme Court’s promulgation of the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases. There had been more laws passed to help make the people and the ecosystems resilient to the impacts of climate change and disaster.
The Fisheries Code had been amended by Republic Act 10654 early this year to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
There are also national agencies and local government units which are stepping up the standards to implement our laws and, in addition, improve the livelihood of our coastal residents. Mention may be made of the strong coordination now taking place among DENR, BFAR, PNP and the local government units in fighting IUU fishing. Cases had been filed against violators, with the local residents energized by this much-appreciated exhibition of political will.
In addition, the Department of Justice has designated special prosecutors for our protected areas, as required by the National Integrated Protected Areas system. We can now visualize a well-trained and knowledgeable special prosecutor for Tañon strait and other protected areas in our country. This development augurs well for a well-coordinated and no-nonsense enforcement of our environmental laws, certainly a huge morale booster for our dedicated enforcers on the ground. They are our heroes, as they face constant threats and potential lawsuits from violators for doing their job.
The good news is, some local chief executives are not just mainstreaming enforcement and imposing a market denial policy, such as what the Cebu provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing task force is doing, but are winning awards in fighting for our sustainable tomorrow.
Kudos to the Aloguinsan LGU and the champions behind the ecologically sustainable Bojo Aloguinsan River Cruise in winning the Best Community-Based Tourism Initiative during the recent Pacific Asia Tourism Association awarding ceremony. Likewise, congratulations to the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Council of Bindoy, Negros Oriental for garnering the 2015 national Gawad and Presidential Award. Mabuhay, Mayor Valente Yap for providing the sterling leadership and inspiration to your constituents. We are proud of you all.