Bulacan fishers appeal for gov't support amid quarantine fishing ban

Fishers in Pamarawan, Malolos in Bulacan province are appealing for government support, after they have been barred from fishing activities to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 in the locality.

According to a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday, fishing activities have been suspended in the area, and the Malolos Fish Port has been temporarily closed.

"Ngayon po, 'di po pwede don, dahil may coastguard. Sinisita din po kami pagka-ano, kailangan may permit ka ng kapitolyo," Jennifer Roxas, a resident of Isla Pamarawan, said in the report.

"Mayor Gatchalian, baka puwede pong dagdagan niyo ang mga relief goods namin sa Pamarawan. Medyo kapos po talaga," added Enrico Faustino, another resident of the area.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease last week already clarified that farmers and fishermen are exempted from the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Prior to this, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) decried reports that farmers and fishers are being barred from reaching their farms located in other barangays. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/LBG, GMA News