Malaysian fisheries experts visit Danajon
TWENTY-FOUR fisheries experts from Malaysia concluded recently their three-day site visit to learn how the Danajon Double Barrier Reef is being managed jointly by local government units led by Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto.
Fisheries and ecosystems experts and officials coming from Malaysia’s Departments of Fisheries, Environment, Parks and Wildlife, and major universities were briefed by the governor on the importance of managing Danajon Double Barrier Reef and the interventions that the province is undertaking with four other provinces.
The governor stressed the importance of managing a common resource as an ecosystem. He also shared his views about local governance in the Philippines and how they affect ecosystem-approach to management. In the same briefing, the group were oriented by the LMP staff about the roles, functions and programs of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines that is headed by Mayor Roberto Cajes of Trinidad, Bohol.
The visitors toured the municipalities of Ubay and Talibon.
Ubay municipal council secretary Alpios Delima oriented the group about the municipality’s implementation of coastal resource management. An interactive workshop with the municipality’s Coastal Enforcement Protection Unit (CEPU) was conducted in the evening.
An interaction with market vendors was held in the morning to know locally-imposed fishery regulations. The morning capped with a prayer and a cash donation to the Ubay mosque.
In the afternoon, the delegates were toured by technical staff of Talibon to the Interpretive Center, and were briefed by the municipality of Trinidad on Coastal Law Enforcement Councils.
Talibon Mayor Restituto Auxtero emphasized the need for local executives to be decisive in enforcing fishery laws. He also explained the nature of municipal waters and the need for local government to manage their own backyard first before embarking on collaborative efforts. He demonstrated to the team the enforcement operations of Talibon Fish Wardens Group which reduced illegal fishing in the municipality.
Dr. Chitra Devi, head of the delegation and senior ecosystems manager of World Wide Fund – Malaysia Peninsula Office, said she was impressed by the Province for taking a big brother role in all the coastal municipalities.
She congratulated the Gov. Chatto and the mayors for promoting ecosystem-approach to fisheries management.
She was also impressed that the Department of Interior and Local Government issued a memorandum circular supporting the Danajon Double Barrier Reef Management Council.
Devi said her team as well as the other experts joining the trip were mandated by the Malaysian government to study other countries approach to fisheries management that is being promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and adopt and emulate a certain approach that is applicable to Malaysia.
Earlier, the group was briefed by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on the province’s role in Danajon Bank, its coastal resource management programs and anti-illegal fishing task force.
For more information, contact the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation Inc. at 2336909, 2336947 and 4162040 or e-mail to [email protected].
