CALBAYOG CITY, Samar, April 27 (PNA) -- The city
government here has intensified its fight against dynamite fishing amid
enforcement of four-month commercial fishing ban on Samar Sea.
Mayor Ronald Aquino said many coral reefs in
Calbayog waters have been destroyed due to destructive fishing, affecting
income of small fisherman and tourism activities.
“We will not tolerate these illegal fishers who
come and steal our resources. Our livelihood, economy, and our food all depend
on our seas and we wanted our children and grandchildren to enjoy these
resources,” Aquino said on Thursday.
A task force composed of local police, Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Bantay Dagat team have been working
together to end the destructive fishing.
The team has been conducting massive information
drive to fisher folks from different island villages regarding fisheries crime
and its consequences, according to Aquino.
“Fishermen will be trained on how to detect
potential illegal activities to effectively combat destructive fishing,” he
added.
The mayor said local fishermen had been sharing
information on the identity of commercial fishing ban violators and dynamite
fishers. Some lawbreakers have been apprehended and now facing charges.
Dynamite fishing is a highly destructive illegal
means of catching fish using explosives to send a shock through the water and
kill fishes.
To counter this activity, the local government
provided alternative livelihood to fishermen in 10 coastal villages to reduce
their dependency on marine resources.
Calbayog waters are part of the Samar Sea, a small
sea in the country’s archipelago, situated between the Bicol Region of Luzon
and the Eastern Visayas.
The fishing ban on Samar takes effect from April to
July 2017. The closure aims to protect the spawning season of small pelagic
fishes such as nemipterus, short mackerel, big eye scad, sardines and some
demersal fish species. (PNA)
(Jazmin Bonifacio/PNA)
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