NON-GOVERNMENTAL organization Oceana Philippines is pushing for the monitoring of all commercial fishing vessels in the provinces along the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape (TSPS), covering the body of water between Negros and Cebu islands.
Oceana Philippines Vice-President Gloria E. Ramos told BusinessWorld on Friday that the Philippines has enough laws to protect the marine biodiversity and manage the fisheries but these are not well-implemented.
“[I]n Palawan, they crafted their own ordinance to limit the sale of species of fish which were vanishing. Of course, the [fishing] industry questioned that but the Supreme Court supported that, saying that it’s a valid exercise of power,” she added.
“There’s really no reason why these laws cannot be implemented. We don’t need more laws.”
The TSPS is the largest protected marine area in the Philippines and is considered one of the richest fishing grounds and a key biodiversity area in the country. Despite this, the TSPS is still considered overfished.
Last year the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources drafted vessel monitoring rules and started holding public consultations in a bid to achieve better compliance.
In November, the first charges related to the Tañon Strait were filed, leading the Department of Justice to designate a special prosecutor for the protected area.
The Philippines is part of the “Coral Triangle,” which contains 53% of the world’s coral reefs, providing livelihood to around 120 million people.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources estimates that 75% of the country’s fishing grounds are overfished, leaving them vulnerable to becoming “dead zones” where fish cannot regenerate their populations. In 2017, there were 500 dead zones around the world.
Less than 1% of coral reefs in the Philippines are classified to be in “excellent condition,” according to the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute and the Biodiversity Management Bureau. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
