Concerned government agencies and local government units will conduct more sea patrols and file cases against illegal and commercial fishers in Tañon Strait, the country’s largest marine protected area between Cebu and Negros islands.
“Regular patrols and surveillance activities are necessary for the detection and intelligence gathering of violations within the protected area, as part of an enforcement plan,” said Am Prospero Lendio, area superintendent of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, under the supervision of the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Lendio said the enforcement plan harmonizes the initiatives of government agencies to protect Tañon Strait. It includes regular inspection of fishing vessels along the strait, a step-by-step strategy for operations and surveillance, and filling of cases against violators.
Tañon Strait is a critical marine habitat and important migratory path for 14 of the 27 species of whales and dolphins in the Philippines. It is a rich fishing ground, providing livelihood to thousands of fisherfolk and their families in the 42 coastal cities and municipalities in Cebu and Negros Islands.
TSPS is governed by a protected area management board led by the DENR, with the provincial, municipal and barangay LGUs as members. The group includes the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, and civil society organizations.
“Tañon Strait is a marine biodiversity hotspot. Effective management mechanisms are necessary, along with strong law enforcement, to ensure that it is protected,” said lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Vice President for Oceana Philippines. “The operationalization of the enforcement plan should deter the banned commercial fishing and destructive activities in the protected area.”
The plan is one of the components of Tañon Strait’s General Management Plan, which aims to protect marine habitats, ensure sustainable fisheries, and reduce illegal fishing through increased patrolling and apprehension, prosecution of violators, and training of law enforcers, Ramos said.
She said Oceana, in partnership with the DENR-BMB, BFAR and the DOJ, has provided legal training to law enforcement personnel, including the new special prosecutors for protected areas. The firm also works with BFAR in pilot-testing vessel monitoring technologies to track fishing in the strait.
Despite being declared a protected area in 1998, Tañon Strait is still exploited by commercial fishers encroaching in municipal waters, degrading its critical habitats by over-harvesting its fishery resources, she said.
“Protecting Tañon Strait is a challenging, yet vital, task. The strengthened collaboration of various stakeholders to conserve and protect this critically important marine habitat and fishing ground, where thousands of fishers depend on for food and livelihood, has to be prioritized to ensure sustainable seafood security for future generations,” Ramos concluded.