YESTERDAY, Feb. 16, fishing resumed at the Visayan Sea after three months of “closed season” which allowed herrings, mackerels and sardines to spawn and increase their population.
Overfishing is taking a toll on our fish population, and thus on our food security. This tells us that the future of our seas, and that of us humans, relies on how much action we are willing to take today.
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 beginning with putting an end to overfishing and specifically, illegal fishing activities.
Yes, illegal fishing remains a problem, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, thus the campaign against it must be sustained. Of particular concern to authorities 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 adopt responsible fishing practices and sustainable marine management and conservation systems such as having a “closed season” for fishing. 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.
We have relied so much on the sea for our existence – for food, for employment, for energy and for recreation. However, 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.
