Mike to Gwen: Concretize fight vs. illegal fishing

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama has called on Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to order mayors under the province to assign personnel whose task is to ensure that illegal fishing or illegal harvesting of marine products do not thrive in their respective jurisdictions.

Garcia is chairperson of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force.

Rama made the request after fish dealers in Cebu City informed him that in several occasions, marine products delivered at the Pasil Fish Market turned out to be illegally caught, thus, confiscated by authorities.

Strict monitoring at the level of the individual local government units under the province is one way to ensure that illegally-caught fish and other marine products are not transported to Cebu City. Rama said one way to do it is to immediately examine and inspect marine products that reach the shorelines and that every box of fish, for instance, is sealed and issued certificates.

“This procedure should be adopted or implemented to ensure that the fishes and marine products bearing a duly issued Fish Inspection Certificate were examined by competent authorities and found to be safe for human consumption and that they were not proceeds from illegal fishing,” Rama said.

Some personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) are reportedly stationed in Bogo City, but Cebu City market administrator Raquel Arce believes inspection of fish products is not that strict.

Bantay Dagat Director Ranulfo Sebusa himself vowed to revive the campaign against illegally-caught fish through the so-called Market-denial or the confiscation of illegally-caught fish and other marine products that are sold here.

Aside from the concern on illegally-caught fish, fish vendors have also asked authorities to implement stricter measures in the sale of fertilizers and other chemicals for plants that are reportedly used as ingredients in making explosives. — (FREEMAN)