Local fishers blame dredging for dwindling fish catch in Zambales
MANILA, Philippines — Dredging operations in the coastal waters of Zambales have depleted fish catch in the area, a national fishers group said Wednesday.
Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the provincial government of Zambales should be held "liable" for allowing such operations.
Pamalakaya national chairperson Fernando Hicap said Zambales province, under Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., granted a permit to the operation which "clearly compromised the marine ecology."
"As reports from the ground said that fish catch dwindled since the dredging began on their fishing grounds. The provincial government of Zambales should be held accountable for consenting to such destructive activity at the expense of our marine environment and livelihood of our fishers," Hicap said in a statement.
Pamalakaya vice chair for Luzon Bobby Roldan, a fisherman based in Central Luzon, noted that the municipal waters of Botolan, Zambales serve as an alternative fishing grounds.
Noting that the coastal waters of Botolan used to be abundant with fish and other marine resources, Roldan said Filipino fisherfolks go to this area instead of going farther into the West Philippine Sea.
"Sagana sa huling isda ang dagat ng Botolan bago pa nag-umpisa ang dredging. Nang simulan nang hukayin ang dagat, nabulabog at lumayo ang mga isda," Roldan said.
"Problema ngayon dahil hindi makalabas ng municipal waters ang mga mangingisda dahil malalaking barko naman ng China ang sasalubong sakanila pagdating sa Scarborough Shoal," he added.
(The sea of Botolan was abundant with fish before dredging started. As they started scooping the sea, the fish were startled and they went away. The problem now is that fishermen cannot go outside municipal waters because they will encounter large Chinese ships coming to Scarborough Shoal.)
Ship owner clarifies grounded ship not a dredger
The company handling the dredging of Bucao River in Botolan earlier clarified that the Chinese ship that ran aground off the town's coast a few weeks ago was not a dredger.
An official of Z2K resources, owner MV Zhang Hai 69 Alfa (ZH 69), said the ship was an aggregate carrier ship and "does not have any capability to dredge or suction sand." The vessel transported dredged materials from Bucao River in Botolan to neighboring coastal town Cabangan.
Pamalakaya, however, pointed out that ZH69 was still part of the dredging operations as materials carrier regardless of its classification.
"Dredging harms the marine life through excavation of seabed and movement of solid particles, noise pollution, and blurring of water that drive away the fish. Thus, dwindling of fish catch as lamented by the local fishers in the affected coastal town," the group said.
According to Fiedni Fontamillas, chief operating officer of Z2K, the recent typhoon Butchoy battered the Chinese carrier ship anchored about 200 meters off the coast of Bucao River at the time.
"As a result, there was a breach in the wall of the ship that allowed the water to enter the hull," Fontamillas said, adding that the vessel was moved closer to shore for its repaairs.
He clarified that the position of ZH 69 was part of the preparations for a major dredging activity in the area. — Patricia Lourdes Viray with report from The STAR/Jose Rodel Clapano
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