BORACAY FISHING BAN

BORACAY – Only fishermen native to this island resort will be allowed to fish in its surrounding waters.

Fishers from other areas would be banned and violators of this policy face arrest, said Lieutenant Commander Ramil Palabrica, Boracay station commander of the Philippine Coast Guard.

This policy will be enforced for six months beginning April 26 when Boracay would be closed for rehabilitation.

The Philippine National Police and coastguard gathered over a hundred Boracay fishermen and passenger boat operators yesterday and discussed the guidelines that must be followed while the island is closed.

Fifty-nine-year-old fisherman Bonie Pagsugiron of Barangay Manoc-Manoc welcomed this tweak in policy.

It was announced last week that no “floating objects” would be allowed within 15 kilometers of water from Boracay’s shoreline and these included fishing boats. This policy, however, upset local fishermen.

In the new policy announced yesterday, local fishermen were told they could fish without limit anywhere in Boracay’s waters but not within 500 meters from the shoreline.

They just have to be careful not to destroy the coral reefs, according to Palabrica.

“We are thankful to the authorities. They heard our concern,” said Pagsugiron.

The fishing ban on outsiders would also give Boracay fishermen the opportunity to have more fish to catch, added Pasugiron.

SWIMMING REGULATED, TOO

According to Palabrica, only the waters in Station 1 would be open for swimming, but only between 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“No swimming is allowed at stations 2 and 3. Warning devices would be put up on April 26,” said Palabrica.

Station 3 was identified last week as the sole swimming area for six months.

“We decided to transfer the swimming area to Station 1 because the waters of Station 3 have lots of coral reefs and we don’t want them disturbed or destroyed,” explained Palabrica.

The coastguard station commander also clarified that only the locals of Boracay are allowed to swim in Station 1, not tourists or visitors.

Meanwhile, all hotel guests would have to leave the island a day before its closure on April 26.

But those who made advanced bookings for an extended vacation (beyond April 26) could stay, said Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, regional police director.

Still, he stressed, these hotel guests are prohibited from swimming in the island’s waters.

Binag appealed to Boracay residents and other stakeholders to follow these guidelines while the island is being rehabilitated.

IDENTIFICATION CARDS REQUIRED

Beginning April 26, tourists will not be allowed to enter Boracay Island.

Residents, workers and resort owners will be allowed entry but they must present identification cards (IDs) indicating their specific addresses in any of the three villages in Boracay – Manoc-Manoc, Balabag or Yapak.

The only entry and exit point to the island is the Cagban jetty port.

To prevent the entry of unauthorized persons and materials, other access points will be closed, said Senior Superintendent Jesus Cambay, commander of the 610-strong Metro Boracay Task Force that will secure the island.

All government IDs will be recognized. Those with nongovernment-issued IDs would be required to present a barangay certification of residency.

The Bureau of Immigration will revalidate foreigners residing in the island.

Visitors of Boracay residents may be permitted to enter the island during emergency situations. However, they must secure clearance from the security committee composed of representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police and the local government of Malay, Aklan which has jurisdiction over Boracay.

Journalists will only be permitted to enter Boracay if they have the approval of the Department of Tourism. Their presence will also have a definite duration and their movements limited, according to the state-owned Philippine News Agency./PN