5 provinces commit to protect Visayan sea

MANILA, Philippines — Five local government units have committed to adopt a fisheries management framework to protect the Visayan Sea, one of the country’s major fishing grounds, from illegal fishing activities to ensure a sustainable fisheries sector.

The governors of Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Masbate and Cebu recently signed the “Commitment to Adopt and Implement the Management Framework for the Conservation, Protection, and Restoration of the Visayan Sea Fisheries Management Area,” a major provision of the Amended Fisheries Code which mandates local governments to implement management measures in municipal waters.

The local unit of international organization Oceana said the commitment is a product of collaboration among local and national government officials, fisherfolks, academe, scientists and partner civil society groups.

“We hope  this historic milestone will pave the way for the official designation of the Visayan Sea as the first fisheries management area in the country with science-based management framework in place,” Oceana Philippines vice president Gloria Ramos said.

The Visayan Sea provides food and livelihood to 100,000 municipal fisherfolks and about one million rural folks in 33 municipalities in five provinces.

The designation of FMAs is among the provisions under the amended Fisheries Code, where a comprehensive science-based fisheries management plan will be enforced to ensure sustained productivity and protection from overfishing, illegal fishing, and destructive fishing practices.

“The governors have made it clear that they want to protect and rehabilitate the Visayan Sea and strengthen governance of this very important fishing ground. We are supportive of this initiative, including the implementation of a management plan for each province as this will restore fisheries abundance in this very important marine ecosystem,” Ramos said.

Oceana hopes the initiative will inspire other LGUs to comply with the Fisheries Code amid the issuance of the memorandum circular on the implementation of the Fisheries Compliance Audit (FishCA) by the Department of Interior and Local Government.

FishCA is a scorecard to gauge the performance of coastal LGUs on fisheries law enforcement and governance, including the issuance of municipal ordinances, protection of municipal waters and marine protected areas, and participation of fishers and their respective Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils as required under the amended Fisheries Code.