‘More coordination needed to secure Tañon Strait’

Commodore Nomer Bilbao encourages coordination in securing Tañon Strait in the western part of Cebu during a dialogue with stakeholders on board the BRP Tarlac on Wednesday.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

MORE coordination are needed between fisherfolk and local government units as the Philippine Navy vows to intensify security along Tañon Strait in west Cebu in order to curb illegal fishing in the area.

Commodore Nomer Bilbao, Naval Force in Central Visayas head, in an interview on Wednesday that the municipalities in west Cebu and Negros Oriental had created different policies on the regulation of illegal fishing which causes contradictions in the implementation of the policies protecting the area.

With this, the Navy sought the coordination of the fisherfolks and local government units (LGUs) in the province of Cebu and Negros Oriental to protect Tañon Strait in a dialogue organized by Oceana, an international ocean conservation organization, onboard the BRP Tarlac on Wednesday (December 12).

Bilbao said that the dialogue will be used to create the security plan for Tañon Strait.

“We cannot disregard the importance of the police, the LGUs, and the fisherfolks in protecting Tañon Strait and in neutralizing the illegal fishers,” said Bilbao.

Among the stakeholders who gave insight during the dialogue were the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), representatives of the Municipal Agriculture Fisheries offices, and the Tañon Strait Fisherfolk Federation.

Bilbao took the opportunity to invite the stakeholders to become Navy Reserves to help the Navy respond to emergencies, conduct missions, and serve as intelligence in their localities.

Meanwhile, the Tañon Strait Fisherfolk Federation calls on the local government units to help the fishermen in the area to prevent illegal fishing and overfishing.

“We urge the local officials and members of the Congress to not impede the campaign againsts illegal fishing,” said Venerando Carbon, President of the Tañon Strait Fisherfolk Federation.