FISH CONSERVATION WEEK. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources invites the public to join its 61st Fish Conservation Week during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Tuesday (Sept. 17, 2024). He said various programs await the public at the BFAR central office in Quezon City until Sept. 20. (Screengrab)
MANILA – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Tuesday underscored the need to intensify the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF) in order for the Philippines to sustainably manage its aquatic resources.
Among the most common cases of IUUF reported in the country are intrusion of commercial fishing vessels in municipal waters using illegal commercial fishing gears such as Danish seine, triple net, and superlights.
During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera urged the public to report IUUF sightings.
“Patuloy po ang pagpapaigting natin ng kampanya laban sa illegal… Ito po talagang banta pa rin, iyong tinatawag natin na (We are continuously intensifying our campaign against the illegal.. which is the real threat, what we call) illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” he said.
“Ito po ang dahilan kung bakit kumaunti rin ang huli at nalalagay sa kompromiso ang ating karagatan (This is the reason for diminishing catch and why our oceans are compromised),” he added.
Fighting IUUF is critical in attaining long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine resources and ecosystems, and in ensuring that every Filipino can fully enjoy their right to food security and economic stability, according to BFAR.
BFAR data showed the Philippines incurred PHP5.35 billion worth of losses, or an estimated 107,020 metric tons of fish caught via IUUF from 2022 to 2023.
In June, the BFAR launched the Fisheries Sharing Hub on Investigation, Enforcement, Litigation and Detection System (FishSHIELDS) to monitor, prevent and apprehend IUUF perpetrators.
The tool is an offline mobile application that functions as an emergency hotline for swift responses against IUUF.
Briguera said BFAR is closely working with local government units and other government agencies to monitor and combat illegal fishing.
Briguera, meanwhile, invited the public to join BFAR’s various programs for the 61st Fish Conservation Week.
These include the launching of a seafood village or the sale of local fish and fishery products, as well as cooking contests and technical symposiums where various issues in the fishery sector will be discussed.
Ginagawa ito nationwide. Ang amin pong mga regional offices kasama po ang ating mga kabalikat na mga ahensya at ibang organisasyon ay patuloy po ang pagsagawa ng mga (We’re doing these nationwide. Our regional offices including our partner agencies and organizations continue to conduct) activities,” he said.
For the celebrations, the BFAR-Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept. 20. (PNA)
