Government agencies, NGOs sign pact to protect coastal areas

CEBU, Philippines — At least 14 government agencies and non-government organizations entered into a Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) to strengthen the law enforcement efforts in the coastal areas of Cebu Province.

These include Cebu Provincial Government, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu (IBP), Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), Philippine Coast Guard District Central Visayas (PCG-7), Philippine National Police (PNP), Oceana Philippines, Rare Inc., Philippine Earth Justice Center, Environmental Legal Assistance Center, Archdiocese of Cebu, and Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation Inc. (CCEF).

The initiative was spearheaded by the Provincial Agriculture Office.

The agreement was signed last Wednesday for two objectives — (1) to eradicate illegal fishing and (2) to effectively manage and develop fishery resources through environment-friendly and scientific fish production and harvest for the economy’s global competitiveness and alleviating poverty and hunger.

Each party to the MOA has a role explicitly stated on the agreement.

One of the agreement’s highlights is that local government units are compelled to enact resolutions for the purpose of granting cash incentives to fish wardens and mandatory boat registration.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) is to conduct capability building training necessary in the enforcement of fishery laws like basic life support training and water search and rescue for fish wardens.

The Provincial Legal Office (PLO) shall also provide one lawyer which will be called during the conduct of operations to ensure the legality of the procedure and defend the law enforcers in case of disputes. IBP will also assist in this matter.  BFAR-7 will also assist in the filing of cases and during the litigation of cases involving fishery laws while NBI-7 will help in the gathering and preservation of evidence.

DENR-7 will assist in the delineation of municipal waters while the NGOs involved will focus on the capability building skills training to fisherfolks.

To centralize the operations, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist will serve as the overall coordinator of the program. (FREEMAN)