Seabed quarrying forces Cavite fishers to venture farther from shore
MANILA, Philippines — Seabed quarrying activities in Manila Bay force fishers in Cavite to venture farther out to Bulacan or Zambales provinces, and look for other sources of livelihood, representatives of affected communities said Monday.
Residents of coastal communities in Cavite, Alyansa Tigil Mina, and Partido Lakas ng Masa held a protest in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Quezon City, demanding the government to stop seabed quarrying related to reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
Romeo Miranda, a fisher in Naic town, said that seabed quarrying activities in Cavite already affect their livelihood. He used to earn P3,000 a day catching squid. Now, he barely makes ends meet.
“Some of the fishers go to other places to make a living by becoming construction workers and tricycle drivers. Those who remain in the fishing sector now venture farther out to Bulacan or Zambales,” Miranda told Philstar.com in Filipino.
High diesel prices also eat up a huge chunk of the fishers’ expenses.
“We barely earn anymore… If you don’t go far, you won’t earn anything,” Miranda said, adding that vessels used in seabed quarrying suck the fish and crabs that they used to haul.
Last week, the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People said that quarrying operations are driving away fish in Manila Bay — a productive fishing ground — due to associated pollution and noise.
The organization warned that seabed quarrying will not only put coastal ecosystems at risk, but also the country’s fisheries production.
According to fishers and scientists, filling materials used for ongoing reclamation projects in Manila Bay such as the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan are obtained from Cavite.
ATM national coordinator Jaybee Garganera said the DENR should conduct an investigation into destructive seabed quarrying activities and issue a corresponding order to stop their operations in Manila Bay.
He added that the agency needs to retain and strictly enforce the existing moratorium on new seabed quarrying applications.
“We will lose if we allow seabed quarrying to continue. The environment will lose when they disturb the seabed. It will destroy everything that lives in the sea. We will lose because when the sea is damaged, where will our fishermen go?” Garganera said.
In a separate briefing, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources chief information officer Nazario Briguera said the agency will coordinate with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to discuss the concerns of fishers. It will also hold a consultation with fishers in Cavite about possible alternatives to affected residents.
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