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[av_heading heading=’More patrol boats for coastal towns vs illegal fishermen ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Thursday, October 26, 2017
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ILOILO – To bolster its anti-illegal fishing campaign, the provincial government is giving patrol boats to seven coastal towns.
Provincial Administrator Raul Banias said the local governments of San Joaquin, Miag-ao, Oton, Barotac Viejo, Dumangas, Ajuy, and Carles would each receive one patrol boat.
The turnover is scheduled next month. Banias is also the head of the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force (PBDTF).
The provincial government and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 6 recently agreed to step up activities to deter illegal fishing.
“We discussed how to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the joint operation of the Bantay Dagat and BFAR, especially in handling cases filed against illegal fishers,” said Banias.
The joint operation was dubbed “Operation Poseidon.”
BFAR will also turn over next month fishing boat-building materials such as wooden hulls, plywood and nails among others to 80 fishermen in Estancia and 100 fishermen in Carles.
According to Banias, these fishermen previously received fishing boat engines from the provincial government.
“Amo ‘ni ang rason nga wala kita naga untat sang pagbantay sang aton lawod kay ini sila ang makaluluoy kon ang mga commercial fishing boats dalagko kag destructive,” said Banias.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. has been urging concerned agencies to do their share in protecting Iloilo’s waters such as BFAR, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine National Police’s Maritime Group.
“We can’t apprehend illegal fishers if they’re already outside our territorial waters. The BFAR and Maritime Group can help in this regard,” explained Defensor.
BFAR is the government agency responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of fisheries and aquatic resources in the Philippines. It is under the Department of Agriculture.
On the other hand, the Maritime Group is one of the 12 National Operational Support Units (NOSU) of the Philippine National Police. It is mandated to perform all police functions over Philippine territorial waters, lakes and rivers along coastal areas to include ports and harbors and small islands for the security and the sustainable development of the maritime environment.
The Bantay Dagat could not totally stop illegal fishing activities in Iloilo’s vast territorial waters all by itself, according to Defensor.
“From San Joaquin in southern Iloilo to Carles in the north – that’s the area our Bantay Dagat has to guard,” said Defensor.
Bantay Dagat has only seven patrol boats guarding Iloilo’s rich fishing grounds.
According to Defensor, most of the illegal fishers that Bantay Dagat apprehended were from neighboring provinces like Masbate, Cebu, Negros Occidental, and Capiz.
“Many fishermen, even from other provinces, are attracted to our rich fishing grounds. Sadly, some use illegal fishing methods such as destructive trawls or setting off dynamites,” said Defensor./PN
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