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BY TIFFANY ANNE TAN
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BACOLOD City –Small fishers in Negros Occidental have expressed concern over climate change.
It forces fishes to migrate, thereby affecting their catch, said Abcede Jardinico, chairman of the Negros Occidental Small Fishers Alliance (not Negros Occidental Small Farmers Association as earlier reported), or Nosfa.
Nosfa held its third provincial congress on Thursday.Around 200 small fishers participated.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the event’s keynote speaker, claimed that climate change lead to poor fish catch.
According to the senator, 39.2 percent — or 1.6 million — of Filipino fishers are vulnerable to declining fish catch due to climate change.
“Matagal ng marginalized at underrepresented and climate change-vulnerable ang sector ng mga mangingisda,” said Hontiveros.
Nosfa also asked Hontiveros and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for more support.
They need alternative livelihood, stressed Jardinico.
He said they are also pushing for the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 937, which seeks the creation of the Department of Ocean, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The new department, said Jardinico, will focus on serving the fisheries sector and managing the aquatic resources of the country.
National government efforts to boost the fisheries sector must complement those of the local governments, Hontiveros said.
“Kailangan makuha din natin ang partisipasyon, representasyon at liderato ng sektor ng maliliit na mangingisda,” she said.
Nosfa also called on local governments to run after commercial operators committing illegal fishing and overfishing.
These activities affect the livelihood of small fishers, Jardinico stressed. “If these continue, wewill be left with nothing.”/PN
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