ESTANCIA, Iloilo — Seventeen fishers in this coastal town have abandoned the use of banned fine-mesh nets as authorities step up efforts to reverse declining fish stocks and restore the once-abundant fishing grounds of Northern Iloilo.
The fishers committed to shift to legal and sustainable fishing practices under a gear-swapping initiative of the Estancia municipal government and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 6.
Of the 17 beneficiaries, six voluntarily surrendered their active fine-mesh nets locally known as “sinsoro,” while 11 others had previously been apprehended for violating Republic Act No. 10654, or the amended Philippine Fisheries Code.
The “sinsoro” is a non-selective fishing gear capable of catching juvenile and immature fish before they can reproduce, undermining the natural replenishment of fish populations.
The 11 previously apprehended fishers had already lost their boats and illegal fishing gear to the Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force.
Instead of permanently displacing them from their source of livelihood, however, the government initiative offered them a pathway to return to fishing using legal and environmentally sustainable methods.
The intervention takes on greater significance in Estancia, historically known as the “Alaska of the Philippines” because of its once-rich seafood resources. Its municipal waters, however, have increasingly come under pressure from overfishing.
The gear-swapping activity was held at the Estancia Municipal Agriculture Office.
Speaking on behalf of Mayor Bianca Requinto Espinosa, Municipal Administrator Arman Ravena thanked the fishers for giving up sinsoro and cooperating with government efforts to protect marine resources.
Before signing a Pledge of Commitment formalizing their transition to responsible fishing, the beneficiaries underwent an orientation on responsible fishing standards conducted by Maria Lea T. Mandalejo of the DA-BFAR 6 Iloilo Provincial Fisheries Office.
The campaign against sinsoro is part of a wider science-backed effort under Fisheries Management Area 11 (FMA 11), led by DA-BFAR 6 Regional Director Remia A. Aparri.
FMA 11 strategies include the phaseout of destructive fine-mesh nets as authorities seek to rebuild dwindling fish stocks across Western Visayas.
Estancia is also part of the Northern Iloilo Alliance for Development (NIAD), a coalition of 11 municipalities in Iloilo’s 5th District.
The initiative highlights a two-pronged approach to protecting the Visayan Sea — enforcing fisheries laws against destructive practices while providing affected fishers with government support to shift toward lawful and sustainable livelihoods./PN
