4 provinces sign pact to protect Visayan Sea

CEBU, Philippines - Local chief executives and legislators of four provinces in the Visayan yesterday signed a covenant to rescue the alarming situation of the Visayas Marine Triangle.

The covenant was signed at the Shangrila Mactan Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City to close the two-day Visayan Sea Summit.

Those who signed the covenant were Governors Alfredo Marañon of Negros Occidental, Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu, Arthur Defensor of Iloilo and Rizalina Seachon-Lanete of Masbate.

The signing of the covenant is a follow up of the commitment the officials signed last year at Sagay City in Negros Occidental.

Members of the Provincial Board, mayors and other officials from the four provinces also signed the covenant.

The covenant is a commitment to protect, conserve and rehabilitate the coastal and marine resources of the Visayas Marine Triangle so the future generations may still benefit from these.

Last year, the provinces committed to the establishment of marine protected areas, the evaluation and restoration of suitable areas for fish breeding and nursery grounds, livelihood assistance to residents and families in their respective coastal communities, and to ensure the sustainable harvest and utilization of coastal and marine resources in the Visayan Sea.

These also include the conduct of joint compliance and enforcement activities.

The million-hectare Visayan Sea is a known sanctuary of 488 of the 500 endangered coral species and 12,000 species of seashells in the Philippines. It covers the territorial waters of northern Cebu, northeastern Iloilo, northern Negros and southern Masbate.

“It would be our respective provinces’ mutual and optimal gain to jointly plan and act on the protection of the Visayan Sea, particularly in the implementation and enforcement of basic fishery laws in the area,” Marañon said.

Environment Lawyer Antonio Oposa expressed his thanks for the success of the two-day Visayan Sea Summit and hopes for the success of the programs they want to implement. — (FREEMAN)