Stop Illegal Commercial Fishing - Oceana Philippines

Stop Illegal Commercial Fishing

Stop Illegal Commercial Fishing in Municipal Waters

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Overview

Effective law enforcement in Tañon Strait to address illegal commercial fishing in municipal waters is proof that through political will, inter-agency cooperation, and collaboration with stakeholders, deterring and stopping illegal commercial fishing bring benefits to artisanal fishers and our marine ecosystems.

Oceana launched its nationwide campaign to stop commercial fishing in municipal waters through the establishment of an online platform, Karagatan Patrol, in partnership with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines. Karagatan Patrol reports illegal fishing in municipal waters and shares information with members of the local government, security and enforcement agencies, fisherfolk, industry players, and media.

Commercial fishing boat detection maps are shared with subscribers to show possible intrusions of commercial fishing vessels in municipal waters. These maps are based on the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data and enhanced by Oceana by overlaying municipal water boundaries based on the archipelagic principle, protected areas, fisheries management areas, and exclusive economic zone or EEZ.

The enforcer-members of Karagatan Patrol use these maps to plan enforcement activities that led to successful arrests. The members use the platform to share enforcement activities, report ongoing illegal fishing, and incidences of illegal fishing methods such as bottom trawling and dynamite fishing. Karagatan Patrol has also gained recognition as a game changer in reporting illegal fishing methods in the Philippine media that used the platform as source of information for their coverage of these illegal activities including poaching by foreign fishing vessels in Philippine waters.

Strong enforcement action against illegal commercial fishing in municipal waters is necessary especially that both commercial and municipal fisheries production have declined in the past 10 years. Appropriate use of technology such as vessel monitoring measures, effective enforcement, and requiring compliance by national and local authorities and commercial fishing operators are needed to ensure the sustainable management of fisheries resources in the Philippines.

On October 12, 2020, the Department of Agriculture issued the rules on vessel monitoring measures for all commercial fishing vessels thru Fisheries Administrative Order No. 266. After continuous pressure by Oceana and its allies for its full implementation, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a memorandum directing the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to implement vessel monitoring rules by installing devices to track location, speed, and catch in all commercial fishing vessels greater than 3.1 GT in the country. As of to date, over 90% of the commercial fishing fleet have installed tracking devices.

This is a victory that will facilitate strict monitoring, control and surveillance, and will deter commercial fishing inside the 15-kilometer municipal water from the shoreline that is reserved only for small scale fishers. Causing habitat destruction and fish stock depletion, the incursion of commercial fishing inside the municipal waters has threatened the food and livelihood of poor coastal communities in the country.

Resources

#AtinAngKinse

Testimonial: Former Mayor Edsel Enardecido of Ayungon on #WhyUseVMM

Testimonial: Alfredo Cochoco on #WhyUseVMM

 

The Enforcement Toolkit aims to increase the capacity of fisheries law enforcers in the Philippines. Specifically intended for local enforcers’ use in their function at every stage of the enforcement sequence, it tries to answer questions they often ask when faced with various situations in the field.
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Entry of ParrotFishNet, Karagathon 1st Place Winner

 

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