Illegal fishing

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 6 simulated an apprehension of an illegal commercial fishing vessel Thursday in Iloilo City for the benefit of judges and prosecutors. The goal was to make the courts more appreciative of the anti-illegal fishing campaign of the government and thus, hopefully, make decisions favorable to the preservation of our marine resources.

ā€œNapansin kasi namin hindi appreciated ang work ng mga enforcers. Kahit filed na ā€˜yung illegal fishing na kaso, ā€˜yung iba nadi-dismiss lang, itinatabi,ā€ said Gloria Ramos of Oceana, one of the coordinators of the simulation; it is an advocacy organization focused on ocean conservation.

Our marine resources are the main sources of livelihood of coastal communities. Preserving, conserving and protecting them are therefore important. In northern Iloilo illegal fishing is rampant. This must stop.

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 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. 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.

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