Town mayor stakes career for ‘fish sanctuary’

Going against threats that he would not get reelected during the last May 2001 elections, Mayor Magsaysay Oliveros stuck it out and led his constituents — mostly subsistence fishermen and their families — in Quezon, Quezon, to establish a "fish sanctuary."

One may ask why would a mayor risk his political career in favor of a thankless mission to protect and conserve the fishery resources of a fifth class municipality, one of three towns comprising the Alabat island off the Quezon peninsula.

On hindsight, however, the mayor made a good decision. He was reelected for a second term. His fishermen-constituents now enjoy at least 50 percent more catch these days, enough for their food and additional income.

What actually is a fish sanctuary?

In Quezon, the sactuary comprises a so-called core area of about 30 hectares and the surrounding waters around it called buffer zone of about 800 hectares, explained Oliveros during a monthly forum called Fish Talk organized by the Philippine Agricultural Journalists, Inc. (PAJ).

One of the major considerations for choosing a core area is that it should have existing corals and marine vegetation, no matter how few, which will later serve as the feeding and breeding ground of marine species in the area. Fishing in the core area, properly marked with buoys, is strictly prohibited.

Oliveros said declaring the core area as a "no fishing zone" must be strictly followed — as it is the heart of the project. Undisturbed, the area will thus be conducive for the corals and other marine vegetation to grow and regenerate. Subsequently, this will attract the various fish species and other marine animals to make the area their sanctuary — their home and breeding ground.

On the other hand, the waters around the core area is called the buffer zone, where fishing is allowed — but only by traditional means such as hook-and-line.

The fish sanctuary project in Quezon town is considered as a model by the Fisheries Resource Management Project (FRMP), under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture through its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Started in 1998, the FRMP is a six-year project co-financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) now called the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Oliveros recalls that it took them more than a year to prepare the groundwork and conduct consultations among fishermen and their families. The fish sanctuary was launched in April 2000.

Now on its second year, the sanctuary has indeed become a home to various marine species. Oliveros takes pride in citing that fishermen can now catch, on a regular basis, lapu-lapu or groupers, weighing at least one kilo each. Furthermore, one can now find thousands of sea cucumbers in the area.

Oliveros admits that in order to maintain their fish sanctuary, more effort and vigilance have to be exerted. For their part, Quezon fishermen set aside a portion of their catch to serve as an operating fund for the sanctuary’s maintenance and security.

Meanwhile, only time can tell if the project would flourish and convince other fishing villages in the country that it is indeed worth putting up a fish sanctuary. – PAJ News & Features