CEASED ILLEGAL FISHING GEARS DESTROYED IN TUBIGON TOWN
Mayor William Jao with Municipal Agriculturist Yolanda Labella as they witness the demolition of a hundred pairs of illegal fishing equipment in front of Tubigon Community Hospital.
By: Reyna Omictin
Nothing could stop Tubigon Mayor, Engr. William R. Jao from tracking down illegal fishers who try to spoil the municipality’s marine and aquatic resources, as he destroys a hundred and thirty (130) pairs of compressors and other illegal fishing equipments confiscated by the Seaborne Patrol of the municipality last January 6.
As stated in Section 60 of the Municipal Ordinance 2009-04-297, defined as the “MODIFIED AND STRENGTHENED COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT CODE OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF TUBIGON, BOHOL”, “it shall be unlawful for any person, entities, organizations or corporations” to engage in illegal methods of fishing, such as the use of compressors, poisonous substances, electric rods, opening of a fish pen, the use of palakaya , and the like.
It could be recalled that Jao, during his first few days in office, promised to stop illegal fishing, as he said it is “not fair”, since it can not only harm the marine resources of the municipality but also the livelihood of small scale fishers who are truthful in their methods in fishing.
True to his words in putting an end to illegal fishing, Jao, together with Municipal Vice Mayor Virgilio C. Fortich, Municipal Agriculturist Yolanda Labella, Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC) and Municipal Administrator Engr. Noel C. Mendaña, strengthened the municipality’s Seaborne Patrol (or Bantay Dagat) by fully implementing an order to maximize their roving to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or 24/7.
With the maximum effort exerted by the administration, and the extended monitoring of the Seaborne Patrol, about 600 illegal fishers were caught within the term of Mayor Jao, where their equipments confiscated and were given sanctions for their violations. And based on the data from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), most of the violators caught were from the neighbouring towns, and some are even from the Province of Cebu.
In an interview with Municipal Agriculturist Yolanda Labella, she said, “we are the only municipality in the province to fully implement the 24/7 Seaborne Patrol, and we will try our best to sustain these efforts.”
Labella also discussed the extent of the damage illegal fishing may produce, where she said that by using illegal compressors, the “offenders” go deep into the oceans using oxygen supplied by the compressor, search for rare types of fish species and would even dig into the rocks and corals, causing immense damage in the marine ecosystem.
What’s worse, she added, is that most of the fishes being caught are breeding fishes with hundreds and even thousands of eggs inside them, limiting their reproductive capacity. “[They] tell me that the profit they earn in this way of fishing is lucrative and fast, but they are only viewing things in a short-term basis, not thinking about the long term results it may bring,” explaining more on the effect of illegal fishing.
Mr. Victor Boligao, the Agricultural Technologist on Fisheries of MAO, has explained how the strengthened Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Code has addressed illegal fishing saying that with the additional provisions adjoined, the law enforcing bodies has now additional grounds to apprehend violators. He added that with the strong political will of the administration to fully implement CRM, the storm over illegal fishing has finally subsided.
Moreover, the licensing system embodied in the ordinance also set the mechanism in mitigating violations and encroachment of fishing vessels from other municipalities. Stated in the CRM are also the zoning of the municipal waters where each zones has their own classification.
Mayor Jao further expressed his satisfaction of the accomplishments the municipality has gained in adressing illegal fishing. He commends the efforts of Municipal Agriculturist Yolanda Labella and MPDC/Municipal Administrator Engr. Noel Mendaña for being firm and putting on an iron fist with the implementation of the ordinance.
Jao then stated that this is a “big step” the administration has taken towards the elimination of illegal fishing, stressing that “this is not the end of the battle; nevertheless, it is just the beginning of our fight towards a cleaner and greener Tubigon!”
January 18, 2012 | Featured, News and Updates
