Boundaries set by NAMRIA accepted

Pending the resolution of the petition to declare the Visayan Sea closed to the commercial and destructive fishing, all government agencies concerned and local chief executives of towns affected adopted the proposed water delineation mapped out by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) assigning 153,970 hectares beyond the 15-kilometer municipal waters as the Visayan Sea areas.

In a meeting called by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday morning, it was agreed that since the said proposal has yet to be resolved fishermen employed by commercial fishing boat operators can still go on with their operations as long as methods used are allowable under the law and carried beyond the municipal waters.

The reported closure of the Visayan Sea has been clarified as a proposal only covered in a petition filed by the local government units with the help of the Visayan Sea Squadron before BFAR-7 on the contention that that the maximum sustainable yield of the Visayan Sea has been established and that the area is over-fished already.

Under Republic Act 8550, otherwise known as The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, they may be allowed to conduct operations within the 10.1-hectare to 15-hectare municipal water area, an ordinance is needed to regulate operation of commercial fishing boats but which is apparently absent in the towns affected.

During the meeting, owners of a fleet of commercial fishing boats in the towns of Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Medellin, San Remigio and Sta. Fe raised their questions on the delineation between municipal waters and the Visayan Sea. They also discussed problems on the proposed closure of the Visayan sea and the livelihood of the affected fishermen that will be displaced should the government decide to close the Visayan Sea.

Based on these concerns, several points were initially agreed in the said meeting that shall be covered in a memorandum of agreement to be signed in another meeting.

It includes an agreement by the concerned government enforcement agencies, such as the maritime police, navy and coast guard and the Visayan Squadron to coordinate with the concerned local government in conducting surveillance and other forms of operations upon the suggestion of Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot.

Loot also complained over dismissed cases filed against operators of commercial fishing boats apprehended for operating within the municipal waters and for conducting illegal fishing activities.

To this, Visayan Sea Squadron leader Antonio Oposa said the Department of Justice has created a task force to help prosecute cases of this nature through Regional State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano and Cebu Provincial Prosecutor Jane Petralba.

And since the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-7) represented by regional director Dionisio dela Peña lacks manpower and logistical support, the fishnet and commercial fishing boat operators, Visayan Sea Squadron and the technical staffs of the University of the Philippines will all help in conducting a proper study in coming up with a maximum sustainable yield.

For the meantime, the BFAR is prevented from issuing endorsements for licenses of commercial fishing boat operators to operate.

On May 2, there is going to be another meeting to fine-tune the provisions stipulated in the draft MOA