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Tuesday, December 16, 2003
45 residents to give up illegal fishing
By Ramon Jaluag
AT LEAST 45 self-confessed dynamite fishers from Tangke, Talisay City have expressed willingness to give up their illegal mode of fishing.
That is if alternative livelihood or fishing tools and equipment will be given them.
The fishermen, led by Barangay Captain Jovita Mabala, trooped to the Talisay City Hall yesterday noon hoping to have a dialogue with either Mayor Eduardo Gullas or Vice Mayor Lani Abarquez.
But both officials were not around.
Offer
Mabala told Sun.Star the blast fishers came to her to inquire about the reported offer of lawyer Antonio Oposa, Jr., chair of the National Environmental Action Team (Neat) of the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to help them if they forego illegal fishing.
The assistance to be extended by Neat is said to be coursed through the City.
Oposa together with IBP and law enforcement agency officials went to Tangke last month to push his campaign against blasting cap (tiklong) makers.
Deadline
The illegal manufacturers of homemade dynamite timing devices were given until January next year by Oposa’s taskforce to give up their trade before they will be run down.
If tiklong makers who abound mostly in Tangke abandon their illegal trade before the deadline, they will be assisted in finding alternative livelihood and will be provided capital.
Up to yesterday, however, not one blasting cap maker has come forward to signify his intention to avail himself of Oposa’s offer, according to Mabala.
It was the dynamite fishers, instead, who expressed interest in the offer.
Nestor (real name withheld), 45, a Tangke resident, said in an interview, he had waited a long time for the government to offer them help.
“I don’t have money to buy fish nets or an engine for a pumpboat. I don’t know any other way of earning a living except blast fishing,” said Nestor.
Like most other blast fishers, Fabian (not his real name), another self-confessed illegal fisher said, he learned how to fish using homemade dynamite from his illegal fisher-father.
All it takes is a bottle of homemade dynamite mix, which is readily available in the barangay, a paddleboat and guts, Fabian added.
Nestor and Fabian, along with the 43 others who expressed readiness to abandon illegal fishing, want to be equipped with fishing nets and boat engines.
(December 16, 2003 issue)
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