THE AQUACULTURE industry said the government should not us the recent storm as a pretext to authorize fish imports, saying that the domestic supply of fish is stable despite the damage inflicted by Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae). Mario G. Balazon, Taal Lake Aquaculture Alliance, Inc. director, said in a statement Wednesday that the […]
Tag: fishing
BFAR backs WTO ban on fisheries subsidies
THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said the Philippines must comply with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ban on fishing subsidies, which is designed to deter illegal fishing, even amid pressure from fishing organizations to provide government support for fisherfolk. Demosthenes R. Escoto, BFAR officer-in-charge, said that the WTO agreement against subsidies […]
Sardine canneries in deal to secure supply during closed fishing season
THE sardine canning industry has signed an agreement with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to ensure continued access to supply during the closed fishing season in the waters around Zamboanga Peninsula starting in December, the BFAR said. The Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) entered into a memorandum of agreement (MoA) […]
Conservation NGO calls for crackdown on illegal fishing, suspension of fish imports
THE government needs to crack down on illegal fishing in municipal waters and reduce fish imports if it expects fisherfolk and marine resources to thrive, a conservation group said. “We are already feeling the pinch of a global food crisis, including decreasing national fish stock. The country’s aquaculture and marine resources should be prioritized as […]
Sardine shortage projected as migration patterns disrupted by changing climate
THE fishing industry is projecting sardine shortages, with catches currently a fraction of their previous levels due to the changing climate. “There is an anticipated shortage. We’re not saying there’s a shortage now but it’s going to that direction,” Francisco J. Buencamino, executive director of the Tuna Canners Association of the Philippines, said in an […]
Philippines places 20th in global illegal fishing index
The Philippines ranked 20th out of 152* coastal countries in the 2021 Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Index by the Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd. and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. The index assesses a country’s vulnerability to, prevalence of, and response to IUU fishing. Compared to the 2019 edition, the Philippines’ […]
Fisherfolk call for suspension of closed fishing season policy in typhoon-affected provinces
PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD FACEBOOK PAGE AN ORGANIZATION of small fishermen has expressed its opposition to importing fish for typhoon-hit areas, calling instead for aid to restore its members’ livelihoods and the lifting of an order imposing a closed fishing season on key fishing grounds. The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said in […]
Organization of fishermen seeks gov’t help for members
THE Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), an organization of small fishermen, said the government needs to provide aid to small fisherfolk during the three-month closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea. Fernando L. Hicap, PAMALAKAYA chairman, said that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) needs to disburse P10,000 per family […]
Closed fishing season ‘unjust’ to small fishermen, organization claims
THE PRACTICE of closing fishing grounds to allow fisheries to recover has had a disproportionate impact on small fishermen by depriving them of livelihoods while driving up consumer food costs, according to a fishermen’s organization, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA). PAMALAKAYA National Chairman Fernando L. Hicap said in a statement Monday […]
Fishers group appeals to local governments to defy order to dismantle fishing structures in Cavite
A FISHERS group appealed on Monday to local governments in Cavite to defy the dismantling of alleged illegal fishing structures in Manila Bay led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Fernando L. Hicap, chairperson of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), said officials of four localities in the province […]
Fishing association opposes plan to import 60,000 MT
THE GOVERNMENT’S plan to import 60,000 metric tons (MT) of fish to augment supply during the closed fishing season has met with opposition from the association of small fishermen. The chairman of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, Fernando L. Hicap, said in a statement Sunday that the planned imports will deprive fishermen […]
Fishers group pushes gov’t to improve efforts in stopping foreign fishing vessels
THE NATIONAL government should increase its efforts against foreign fishing vessels within Philippine waters as mandated by local and international laws following China’s declaration of an annual fishing ban in the South China Sea, a local fishing group said. Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said in a statement on Monday that the […]
Duterte wrong on fish data — political analysts
By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter THE SOUTH China Sea is a major fish source for the Philippines that is crucial to its food security, political analysts said on Sunday, belying President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s claim that it couldn’t quarrel with China over fish. China’s unregulated fishing activities in the disputed waterway, where the Southeast […]
Philippines accuses China of fanning tensions
The Philippines has filed two diplomatic protests against China, which it accused of fanning geopolitical tensions by occupying waters within Manila’s territory in the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said 160 Chinese fishing and militia vessels had been spotted in the Spratly Islands and around Scarborough Shoal. Five Chinese Coast […]
Editorial: Abundance of diplomacy
Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago “Chito” Sta. Romana says that although we must exercise a “high degree of vigilance, a high degree of monitoring” over the persistent presence of around 200 Chinese maritime militia vessels, as the Philippine Coast Guard reported, at the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea, the matter should […]
Ex-professional cager denies involvement in illegal fishing
FORMER Philippine Basketball Association player Kendrick Allen “Jojo” Lim has denied reports that he is involved in illegal fishing in northern Cebu. This, after one of his fishing crew, Rolex Casebo, was killed in a shooting incident involving Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officers in the waters off Barangay Logon, Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan on Friday night, […]
CG to probe fatal shooting involving 1 of its personnel
THE Philippine Coast Guard (CG) District Central Visayas said it will conduct its own investigation on the shooting incident between its personnel and a group of fishermen in Daanbantayan, Cebu that resulted in the death of one fisherman off the coast of Barangay Logon, Malapascua Island on Friday night, March 26, 2021. CG Station Central […]
Fisheries bureau boosts surveillance
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has improved and expanded its surveillance of illegal fishing activities, according to the agency. In a statement, it could now track and communicate with flagged fishing vessels in real time, while integrating law enforcement. “Implementing the project gives us the opportunity to benefit from technological innovations for […]
Regional Updates (02/02/21)
Fishing season for galunggong reopens in Palawan THE three-month closed fishing season for roundscad, locally known as galunggong, in northeast Palawan has been lifted, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) announced Tuesday. BFAR said the resumption of fishing activities in the area is expected to stabilize the supply and price of galunggong and […]