Last of a series
TO protect the Philippines' second biggest seascape, former Albay Third District representative now Ligao City Mayor Fernando Gonzalez filed a bill declaring the Ticao-Burias Pass as a protected seascape. The move was supported by two other lawmakers from Bicol representing areas covering the vital inland seas of the region.
Representatives Ma. Vida Bravo and Evelyn Escudero of the first districts of Masbate and Sorsogon have co-authored the bill seeking the declaration of Ticao-Burias Pass as a marine protected area (MPA) under the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.
Bravo's representation covers six municipalities — San Fernando, San Jacinto, Monreal, Batuan of Ticao Island, and Claveria and San Pascual of Burias Island, all along the two waters; while the Sorsogon towns of Donsol, Pilar and Castilla that sit along the northern coastline of Ticao Pass belong to Escudero's district.
Gonzalez's district covering the Albay west coast localities of Libon, Oas, Pioduran, and Jovellar shares maritime boundaries with the two Burias Island towns.
Gonzalez's move is to save the Burias-Ticao Pass to be declared an MPA or a protected seascape to save and preserve its great marine diversity threatened by unabated illegal activities and climate change impact by protecting corals.
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These waters are home to Tamban locally called "lawlaw" (sardines) whale sharks, manta rays, dugong (sea cow), and various kinds of sea turtles, and later discovered to be a habitat of the globally rare megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) — which are all considered endangered marine species.
The entire seascape covers an area of 414,244 hectares serving as a fishing ground for a total population of 93,943 coastal villagers, 41.4 percent of them languishing in poverty as reported last year by the National Statistics Coordination Board of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The primary concern of the coalition is the huge fishing ground covering Ticao-Burias Pass rich coastal resources threatened by human pressures, including overexploitation, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as unsustainable aquaculture practices, marine pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, and ocean acidification.
Protected seascapes, Gonzalez explained, are among sites of national significance characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and ocean while providing opportunities for the public as showcases for climate change adaptation measures to combat the effect of global warming.
Rep. Fernando Cabredo on the other hand said that coastal communities have inevitable growth of population which require more fish requirement consumption and fishing activities.
"To provide alternative livelihood, aside from fishing, we provide alternative sources of living through tourism, mangrove reforestation, and agriculture as alternative sources," the lawmaker said.
Restore Philippines' fish stocks
Oceana Philippines said there is a compelling urgency for stakeholders to work together to sustainably manage this commercially important and cheap protein source for many Filipinos.
To help restore the fish stocks, there is a need to protect the municipal water, which hosts the coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves — the shelter and spawning ground of fish that should be protected as mandated by the existing fisheries and environmental laws.
Oceana gives unsolicited advice to the Marcos administration — stop fish importation, prosecute commercial fishers encroaching municipal waters, and implement the management plan for participatory and science-based fisheries management in Fisheries Management Areas, a policy reform under FAO 263 which delineated the country's fisheries into 12 areas and which if fully implemented will rebuild Philippines fisheries.
The country's marine resources should be prioritized as an integral source of nutrition for the Filipino people, but these continue to degrade because of a lack of political will to fully implement the fisheries laws and the reforms initiated by the decision-makers.
The strict implementation of the Fisheries Code, as amended, mandates the protection of the 15-kilometer municipal waters from commercial fishing operations. Oceana believes that by adopting a science-based strategy, local sardines will continue to thrive, support other marine wildlife and feed the world at the same time.
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