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Thursday, September 11, 2003
Editorial: Protecting Iloilo's marine resources
THERE seems no stopping the illegal fishing activities in the 5th District despite the relentless campaign of the Bantay Dagat Task Force against poachers in the form of commercial fishing vessels.
Just when Senior Supt. Juan Mabugat, provincial police director, announced that the illegal fishing activities in Iloilo went down during the first few months of the year, there came reports on the series of apprehensions of several commercial fishing vessels.
Late last month, Capitol reported that the Bantay Dagat Task Force seized at least 20 vessels for encroaching in the municipal water, a violation of the Fisheries Code of the Philippines or Republic Act 8557.
A total of 53 illegal fishers, on board 22 fishing vessels, were arrested in August alone.
And the irony is many of these were seized in Barotac Viejo, the hometown of Gov. Neil Tupas Sr.
So it is just natural for the governor, a staunch advocate against illegal fishing activities, to be embarrassed by these reports.
Indeed, how sad it is for Iloilo to have citizens who still refuse to acknowledge the need to protect the country's dwindling coastal resources.
For the longest time, uncontrolled exploitation of marine resources resulted to the dwindling of marine life and if this abuse continues, our seas would be totally depleted leaving the future generations to suffer the consequences.
The idea of banning the entry of big time fishermen into the 15-kilometer zone is to prevent the destruction of marine resources but big commercial fishing vessels continue to ignore this law.
If this illegal practice remains, the law enforcers have no choice but to match this persistent defiance with an iron fist. Otherwise, Iloilo will be left out in the cold without its much-needed marine resources.
(September 10, 2003 issue)
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