ILOILO City – Illegal fishing activities in the waters of northern Iloilo facing the Visayan Sea are not as rampant now as they previously were, but they remain a problem, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 6.
Director Remia Aparri urged local government units in northern Iloilo to sustain the campaign against illegal fishing.
“So far this year we have not apprehended hulbot-hulbot (Danish seine) fishers in northern Iloilo. But this does not mean there is no more illegal fishing there,” said Aparri.
Danish seine and its modified forms are active fishing gears often used in commercial fishing. It consists of a conical net with a pair of wings, the ends of which are connected to a rope embedded with buri, plastic strips, sinkers or other similar materials to serve as scaring or herding device hauled through a mechanical winch or by manpower.
Danish seine contributes to the destruction of marine habitats and other fishery resources – a violation of Section 92 of Republic Act 8550, also known as the Fisheries Code of the Philippines.
The Code reiterates the prohibition of the use of any fishing gears that destroy and damage coral reefs, seagrass beds, and other fishery marine life habitats.
In 2013, BFAR’s Fisheries Administrative Order No. 246 banned Danish seine and modified Danish seine fishing in Philippine waters.
Citing recent intelligence reports reaching BFAR-6, Aparri said those engaged in illegal fishing in northern Iloilo were residents of coastal municipalities themselves.
That’s because fishing is the residents’ main livelihood, she explained.
Previously, apprehended illegal fishers turned out to be residents of other provinces such as Negros Occidental, Masbate and even Cebu.
“The keys to an effective campaign against illegal fishing are the local governments themselves. They know what is happening in their waters,” said Aparri.
Meanwhile, BFAR-6 is pushing for the protection of seashells in northern Iloilo, particularly the much sought-after scallops – saltwater clams popular in restaurants.
“We must declare as marine sanctuaries the breeding ground of scallops,” said Aparri.
Marine sanctuaries are off-limits to fishers.
“Making residents understand the importance of conserving our marine resources is a challenge,” said Aparri.
Scallops such as those from the waters of Carles town are being exported. In 2017 a kilo cost P110.
Carles’ daily scallop production was between 10 tons to 20 tons daily in 2017, according to Mayor Sigfriedo Betita./PN
