by Dong de los Reyes June 19, 2022 Bureau of Aquatic Resources 4A Fishery Law Enforcement Group (BFAR 4A FPLEG) of Team Padre Burgos and Tea...
June 19, 2022
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| Bureau of Aquatic Resources 4A Fishery Law Enforcement Group (BFAR 4A FPLEG) of Team Padre Burgos and Team Perez at Philippine Coast Guard. (Photo by Danilo Larita Jr.) |
LUCENA CITY - “With the rising cost of living, more fishers—legitimate and illegal—will resort to unlawful activities just to earn and the heck with the environment.”
Pernicious fishery methods remain rampant in the fishing grounds of Tayabas and Lamon bays, with local government units of coastal towns apparently unperturbed, even helpless in curbing the practices.
Even the so-called long arm of the amended fishery code (R.A. 10654) to check the slow destruction of fishing areas has remained futile-- despite stiff sanctions that run as high as P45-million fine for commercial fishing violators, and $2.4 million for poachers.
The amended law creates an adjudication committee under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to speed up run of charges against violators and imposition of penalties-- but so far, no "big fish" violator has been caught to face the music.
The stiff fines-- including six-year jail terms-- are a spit in the ocean compared to incalculable long-term costs on the marine environment and loss of livelihood and food security.
So far, only pro-environment groups are howling foul over the pernicious fishery practices-- use of seine nets dragged over the seabed that tears up coral reefs, fish habitats and sanctuaries of marine life; cyanide poisoning, and even dynamite fishing that don't spare growing fry.
Public interest law office and pro-environment advocate Tanggol Kalikasan (TK) expressed alarm over the resurgence of destructive fishing activities off Quezon province coastal communities. TK project officer Jay Lim said the return of these pernicious fishery methods is confirmed by a local fisher in Dalahican village along Tayavas Bay.
The fisherman blamed the inroads of of large commercial fishing operations for the dwindling catch in the bay area. Fishery laws limits fishing activities in municipal waters to marginal fisherfolk.
Daily arrest of violators
On June 1, three illegal fishing boats that operated in the municipal water of Pagbilao town pff Tayabas Bay were arrested by combined operatives from BFAR, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Last June 8, three more illegal fishing boats were apprehended in Lamon Bay and the Alabat municipal waters.
The Quezon police have also been reporting the daily arrest of illegal fishers in Tayabas and Lamon bays.
Thirty-four of Quezon’s 42 municipalities are on the shoreline— 17 along Lamon Bay in the Pacific Ocean, 12 off the Tayabas Bay and five along the Ragay Gulf.
Despite the relentless assault of illegal fishing, TK reported that their continuous stewardship showed that fish sanctuaries in Tayabas Bay are showing signs of life: sea turtles, manta rays and assorted fish species have started to return to the areas.
The Tayabas coastline in Sariaya town provides a sanctuary for marineturtles that usually come to lay and hatch their eggs from October to December.
Fishermen, fish wardens and local government workers were trained to care for the hatchlings of different sea turtle species in five nesting sites.
Dangers
But huge stationary fish traps sunk into the bottom of the bay threaten the marine turtles-- a growing number turned up dead along the beach after getting entangled in fish traps.
Coral reef poachers also threaten the marine life at the bay, in some instances involving the fishermen who needed to augment income lost to commercial fishers.
Years of illegal and commercial fishing, compounded by water pollution have damaged the 287,332-hectare Tayabas Bay, according to TK.
Depletion of marine resources in Lamon Bay in northern Quezon and Tayabas Bay covering parts of Quezon, Marinduque and Batangas provinces has brought apprehension among environmentalists over long-term dangers and damage that touch off dwindling fish catches and loss of livelihood and food secutiry.
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