A COVENANT of Commitment and Cooperation among the provinces of Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Cebu and the Bureau of Fisheries and Natural Resources (BFAR) for the conservation, protection and restoration of the Visayan Sea was signed during the 9th Visayan Sea Summit at Sicogon Island in Carles, Iloilo on Saturday, July 22.
Under the covenant, the officials agreed to cooperate to pursue and promote the goals and objectives of each party in the conservation, protection and restoration of the Visayan Sea and to adopt a management framework for the conservation, protection and restoration of the Visayan Sea, which will be the basis of a joint management plan formulated by each province for the harmonized implementation of the Visayan Sea Fishery Management Plan.
The covenant also stated that the Visayan Sea Fishery Management Area
Council will be constituted and composed of the governor of each province and the regional directors of BFAR Bicol Region, Western Visayas and Central Visayas, which will act as the policy-making body for the Visayan Sea.
The provinces are tasked to assist the cities and municipalities whose waters fall within the area of the Visayan Sea in the adaption and implementation of the Visayan Sea Management Framework and Fisheries Management Plan through local ordinances while the BFAR shall take the lead in the management of the waters beyond the 15 kilometers municipal waters of the surrounding local government units within the Visayan Sea as well as provide technical assistance in the implementation of the Fisheries Code as amended and the implementing rules and regulations, within their respective municipal waters.
Present during the summit were Governors Alfredo Marañon Jr. of Negros
Occidental and Arthur Defensor of Iloilo, BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona, environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa, and Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., representing Cebu Governor Hilario Davide.
Also present were Mayors Neil Tupas III of Barotac Viejo, Jett Rojas of Ajuy, Milliard Villanueva of Concepcion, Larry Villanueva of San Dionisio, Pedro Alarcon of Batad, Siegfredo Betita of Carles, and Carlos Cabangal of Banate.
Defensor welcomed the more than 100 participants to the summit and suggested to name the group as the “Visayan Sea Guardians.”
Meanwhile, Gongona pledged to provide a Monitoring Control and Survey
Vessel (MCS) for research and enforcement as well as 38-footer patrol boats for local government units surrounding the Visayan Sea.
In his speech, Marañon related his personal experience in the early 90’s together with then Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary Angel Alcala when they were chasing fishermen involved in illegal fishing activities.
He said he could not forget the day when a dynamite exploded in front of them and their boat could not even chase violators because it was very slow.
Marañon added that the announcement of BFAR national director to give MCS and patrol boats for local government units is very much appreciated because the mere presence of these vessels will act as deterrent to illegal fishing activities in the Visayan Sea.
During the summit, Marañon also campaigned to the return “berried crabs to sea” and allow them to spawn.
Oposa, who facilitated the activity, said that the best form of enforcement is when the law does not need to be enforced; hence, there is a need to shift from the negative energy of enforcement to the happy energy of positive reinforcement through compliance promotion and knowledge insemination.
Negros Occidental Provincial Environment Management Officer Wilfred Ramon Peñalosa and staff acted as secretariat of the 9th Visayan Sea Summit. (PR)