24/06/2022
๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Seventy percent of the Philippinesโ principal fishing grounds are now considered overfished. Local and foreign commercial fleets continue to unlawfully fish and poach high-value species in the countryโs municipal waters posing persistent problems not only for the fisherfolk and the coastal communities but to the environment and economy as well.
The rampant illegal fishing activities were specifically true in Rapu-rapu Island, a coastal municipality of Albay Gulf in Albay Province, Bicol, situated in the Luzon part of the Philippines. There are two existing fish sanctuaries located in the municipality, however, no seaborne patrol operation was regularly being conducted thus unlawful fishing practices such as the use of dynamite were common in the area.
When the Fisheries, and Coastal Resources and Livelihood (FishCORAL) Project piloted its implementation in 2016, the island of Rapu-rapu is among the covered areas. Through the project, the fisheries law enforcement team (FLET) has been formed and reactivated. However, the journey of the FLET was not steady until 2019 under the leadership of Elwin Bulawan wherein fisheries law is strictly enforced through the collaborative efforts of the FLET members, the barangay local government officials, and the youth in the community to protect and conserve the fish sanctuaries. The limited financial support from the local government affects the logistic need of FLET operation but this does not stop the team from guarding coastal resources and marine sanctuaries against illegal fishing activities as they pitched in from their own pockets.
With the support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the FishCORAL Project, watchtower infrastructure with a solar power system, floodlight, handheld radio, and sets of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), patrol boat with a motor engine, and fish sanctuary buoy markers were provided to properly monitor the fish sanctuaries. Different capacity-building activities were also done resulting in a more successful number of apprehensions monthly.
Other activities conducted by the Rapu-rapu Island FLET are the coastal clean-up drive and information dissemination on the importance of fish sanctuary and the impacts of illegal fishing activities on the marine resources, particularly within the protected area. According to FLET leader Bulawan, the 16-member team currently intensifies their information drive to inform the communities as well as upgrade the skills and knowledge of the FLET to ensure illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF) will be lessened and hopefully be fully eliminated in their municipality.
โArog kaning may watchtower na, may (hand-held) radio, maski wara cellphone, makakakontak na samuya su mga wara signal na lugar. Ini ang dakulaon na pasalamat ko na tabang nin BFAR asin FishCORAL, dahil jan magiging magayon an samuyang operasyon. (Now that we have watchtower and hand-held radio, illegal fishing reports are being reported even in places with no signals. I am grateful for the help of BFAR and FishCORAL Project as they make our operations easier.),โ Bulawan said.
In the assessment conducted by BFAR5 Dive Team last February 2022, the fish sanctuary is in good condition and has 60-70% more live coral cover with 15-20 types of corals compared to its last assessment in 2010 wherein no target species can be found in the sanctuary. BFAR 5 said that the drastic change and development in the status of the marine protected area is evident due to the enforcement efforts of the FLET and the communities.
