Fishermen, groups concerned as monitoring of fishing vessels suspended

Fishermen and concerned groups were worried that the suspension of a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) order that required fishing operators to install satellite transponders would lead to unregulated fishing by these operators.

Fisherman Crispin Paraiso said he was only borrowing a boat to catch fish. However, there were some days when he had no catch to bring home to his family.

“Dito sa loob ng Manila Bay talagang wala na pong malalaki. Pagwalang wala ma’am talagang mag-tyatyaga talaga eh hahanapin mo talaga isda eh. Lilibutin mo Manila Bay makahanap ka lang ng isda pag walang wala aabutin ka na ng hapon o alas-singko uuwi ka na talaga,” Paraiso said in Bernadette Reyes' "24 Oras" report on Tuesday.

(Here inside Manila Bay, there are no big fish. We try to find fish. You will go around Manila Bay, just to find fish until 5 p.m. and by then you just go home.)

Several groups worried that small fishermen would be pushed out by commercial fishing vessels.

Malacañang suspended the implementation of a BFAR order which required fishing operators to install satellite transponders so their commercial fishing vessels could be monitored.

In a memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the administration suspended the enforcement of Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 266, which also required commercial fishers to report their catch through Vessel Monitoring Measures (VMM) and an Electronic Reporting System (ERS).

The BFAR, however, said that they would continue to protect the fishing industry.

“Hindi naman ibig sabihin nito na pinasuspinde, ibig sabihin nito ay di na tayo seryoso sa ating kampanya laban sa ilegal na pangingnisda o yung tinatawag natin na illegal at unreported and unregulated fishing,” BFAR chief information officer Nazzer Briguera said.

(It does not mean that we are no longer serious in our campaign against illegal fishing or what we call illegal and unreported and unregulated fishing.)

Groups expressed concern that suspension could result in overfishing as these transponders helped prevent unregulated fishing.

“Sa Region 8, for example, yung nakabitan ay talagang hindi na nag-violate. Wala ng encroachment. It’s a big deterrent para ito ay magpigil kasi alam nilang they’re on the radar eh,” OCEANA vice president Atty. Golly Estenzo Ramos said.

(In Region 8, for example, vessels with transponders could no longer violate regulations. No encroachment. It's a big deterrent and preventive measure because they know they're on the radar.)

“Kung walang vessel monitoring system at tuloy tuloy na hindi magkakaroon ng vessel monitoring system sa Pilipinas eh magkakaroon talaga ng danger ng of course mismanagement or inability of government to manage its fishing fleet and eventually might result into overfishing,” Tugon Kabuhayan co-convenor Atty. Asis Perez said.

(If there is no vessel monitoring system and there is a continuous absence of a vessel monitoring system in the Philippines, there will be a real danger of mismanagement, or the inability of the government to manage its fishing fleet which eventually might result in overfishing.)

“Hindi ibig sabihin dahil nagkaroon ng suspension sa vessel monitoring measure ay titigil na rin yung pagpapairal natin ng batas pangisdaan sa Pilipinas tungkol doon sa paglalagay ng demarcation or boundary between the commercial fishing vessel and the municipal fishing vessel. Patuloy po itong umiiral at patuloy pong papatupad ang batas na ito,” Briguera said.

(It does not mean that because there was a suspension of the vessel monitoring measure, we will stop enforcing the fisheries law in the Philippines regarding the placement of the demarcation or boundary between the commercial fishing vessel and the municipal fishing vessel. This law continues to exist and will continue to be enforced.) — Richa Noriega/DVM, GMA Integrated News