[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’EDITORIAL’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_image src=’http://www.panaynews.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/editorial-cartoon-for-oct17.jpg’ attachment=’120783′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’][/av_image]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=”]
THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 6 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with two local government units in northern Iloilo (Carles and Concepcion) and other enforcement agencies to strengthen the safeguarding activities of Western Visayasā marine environment and resources. What can be a more meaningful way to kick off the 54th Fish Conservation Week?
Our marine resources are the main sources of livelihood of coastal communities.Ā Preserving, conserving and protecting them are therefore important. In Carles and Concepcion, illegal fishing is rampant. This must stop. The MOU creates a joint task force for this. It will convene regularly and conduct regular patrols to increase visibility in municipal waters. It will also hold information campaign on fishery laws.
As stated in the MOU, the task force will observe a āno toleranceā policy on violators of fishery laws. Let us see how this goes.
We have relied so much on the sea for our existence ā for food, employment, energy, eve for recreation. However, rapid population growth along with unsustainable marine practices such as overfishing and illegal fishing, waste dumping, oil spills, among others, have seriously damaged marine habitats and life in the sea over the years.
Compounding the problem is global warming. The seas have absorbed about a third of global carbon dioxide emissions, causing acidification. This has also resulted in coral bleaching. Ocean acidification is causing irreversible damage to coral reefs. With global warming of up to 2 degrees Celsius, 98 percent of coral reefs will die by 2050. A World Bank study shows this would cause decrease in marine fish catch by about 50 percent in the southern Philippines by the year 2050. For an archipelagic country, this unraveling scenario is a nightmare.
We must adopt responsible fishing practices and sustainable marine management and conservation systems not only to improve fisheries yield but also to maintain ecological balance. We must all work together to bring back our seas and the whole marine ecosystem to excellent condition so that our seas can benefit us in a sustainable manner.
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]