Naga boosts security at marine protected areas

CEBU, Philippines - The City of Naga has beefed up security at its marine protected areas (MPA) as part of its plan to build more fish sanctuaries for the benefit of its local fishermen.

“So far, we have four MPAs. And we hope to establish more in the adjacent barangays where the MPAs are located,” Vice Mayor Delfin Señor said.

Señor said two weeks ago, they put marine buoys around the 16-hectare MPA in barangay Tinaan. A guardhouse was also erected in this area.

The purpose of which, apart from delineating the entire area from the fishing grounds, is to warn passing marine vessels that that part of the sea is a protected area, he said.

Señor said with several cargo ships that navigate their municipal seawaters, it is likely that these could run aground in the shallow parts of the MPAs.

Proof of this are the skid marks of ships found on the seabed of “Takot Simbahan,” an MPA in barangay East Poblacion.

After Tinaan, Takot Simbahan and the rest of the two MPAs will also have buoys, Senor said.

The vice mayor is aware that it is taking the city government quite too long to put in place the necessities for a protected area, with budget being a major hindrance.

The Tinaan fish sanctuary became an MPA two years ago, while the other three were declared the same more than a year ago.

This campaign to increase protection of the city’s marine environment was not only Señor’s being an enviromentist.

It is “more importantly on the welfare of the local fishermen,” he said. Señor said although Naga is already considered an industrialized city, there are still many people who thrive on fishing.

“We’re taking it one step at a time. We’ve almost curbed the illegal fishing practices already, and Bantay Dagat personnel have been posted to ensure that our efforts will not go to nothing,” he said.

The fishermen of barangay Inoburan are reportedly known for their illegal fishing methods by using a type of dynamite that explodes underwater to avoid detection.

To avoid apprehension, Señor said these fishermen would collect the fish at night.

He said a monitoring team guards the waters in a bid to put a stop to such a practice, particularly now that whale sharks and blacktip sharks have been seen in the municipal waters.

Naga’s four MPAs also boast massive stone formations, which are already attracting Scuba divers. (FREEMAN)