CAPIZ – This province has recorded notable progress in its campaign against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing following two major initiatives this year: the IUU Fishing Reduction Plan Review held on April 25 in Pontevedra and the IUU Fishing Index and Threat Assessment Tool (IFIT) Re-Assessment on June 25 to26 in Roxas City.
The efforts were spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (DA-BFAR) Provincial Fisheries Office in Capiz, in collaboration with SIKAT Inc. and the municipal governments of Panay, Pilar, Pontevedra, and President Roxas.
During the April review, the team reported a 55% reduction in trawl fishing, a practice linked to the overexploitation of marine resources. The assessment also highlighted increased use of environmentally sustainable fishing gear, the harmonization of municipal fishing ordinances, and the formation of the Capiz Provincial Bantay Dagat — a community-based group dedicated to coordinated coastal surveillance.
Compliance with fishery regulations also improved significantly. Registrations under the FishR (Fisheries Registration) and BoatR (Boat Registration) programs rose from 4% to 40%, while fishing permit approvals increased from 9% to 10%. Pilar, in particular, has adopted conservation protocols for the blue swimming crab as part of its sustainable fisheries management.
The June IFIT re-assessment further revealed declining IUU cases in Panay, Pilar, and Pontevedra, with rates dropping by 7% to 17% compared to 2021. No incidents of destructive fishing methods, such as blast or dynamite fishing, were recorded.
However, persistent challenges remain, including the continued use of trawl nets, unlicensed fishing, and the use of fine-meshed nets that threaten juvenile fish populations.
The anti-IUU campaign is led by DA-BFAR Capiz Officer-in-Charge Edwin Candelario B. Javier, with strong support from the Provincial Bantay Dagat Team headed by Lyndofer Beup, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturalist under Joey I. Dela Cruz, and SIKAT Inc.’s RJ Magbanua. The Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bantay Dagat units from Pilar, President Roxas, Pontevedra, and Panay have also played a critical role in frontline enforcement and community engagement.
These sustained efforts underscore Capiz’s commitment to protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring the long-term sustainability of its fishing communities./PN
