THE OTHER day this paper reported that the municipality of Carles, Iloilo was appealing for government assistance in its campaign against illegal fishing. The municipal waters of Carles are about one-fourth of the Visayan Sea.
Mayor Siegfredo Betita was quoted as saying, “(We) could not totally stop (illegal fishing). We can probably just minimize them. Our Bantay Dagat is not big or fully armed. Our resources are not enough because the IRA (Internal Allotment Revenue) was based on the land area, not in the sea area.”
True, illegal fishing remains a problem in Western Visayas, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Of particular concern to authorities is the hulbot-hulbot (Danish seine) fishing method that is destructive to coral reefs where fishes feed and breed. Of course, there are others such as dynamite fishing and the use of fine mesh nets that capture even small fishes.
We must adopt responsible fishing practices and sustainable marine management and conservation systems. This way, we protect and improve fisheries yield and thereby ensure our food security. Here’s another benefit: through these efforts we maintain ecological balance.
Coral reefs are complex ecosystems that are vital to the continuity of life in the sea. They protect coastlines from wave and storm erosion and function as nurseries and habitats for thousands of marine species. They are ultimately connected to mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and countless other ecosystems.
We must all work together to bring back our seas and the whole marine ecosystem to excellent condition so that our seas can benefit us in a sustainable manner beginning with putting an end to illegal fishing activities. The future of our seas, and that of us humans, relies on how much action we are willing to take today.
We have relied so much on the oceans for our existence – for food, for employment, for energy and for recreation. However, unsustainable marine practices such as overfishing, waste dumping, oil spills, among others, along with rapid population growth and global warming have seriously damaged marine habitats and life in the sea over the years. This, in turn, threatens our food security and survival.
