THE MAYOR of Carles, Iloilo, Siegfredo Betita, has expressed his local government unit’s helplessness in the fight against illegal fishing and has appealed for outside help – from the Philippine Navy to be specific.
We believe this situation is not unique to Carles. Its neighboring municipalities in northern Iloilo province are likely suffering from the same problem – the continued assault of illegal fishers in their municipal waters that are rich in marine resources.
We have relied so much on the sea for our existence – for food, for employment, for energy and for recreation. Thus we must realize that the future of our seas, and that of us humans, relies on how much action we are willing to take today to protect our marine resources.
We must adopt responsible fishing practices and sustainable marine management and conservation systems. This way, we protect and improve fisheries yield and thereby ensure our food security. Here’s another benefit: through these efforts we maintain ecological balance. Coral reefs are complex ecosystems that are vital to the continuity of life in the sea. They protect coastlines from wave and storm erosion and function as nurseries and habitats for thousands of marine species. They are ultimately connected to mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and countless other ecosystems.
Unsustainable marine practices such as overfishing, waste dumping, oil spills, among others, along with rapid population growth and global warming have seriously damaged marine habitats and life in the sea over the years. This, in turn, threatens our food security and survival. In Western Visayas, of particular concern is the hulbot-hulbot (Danish seine) fishing method that is destructive to coral reefs where fishes feed and breed. Of course, there are others such as dynamite fishing and the use of fine mesh nets that capture even small fishes.
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.
