PH needs to take stronger measure to preserve and protect marine resources

MANILA, Philippines—Greenpeace, marine experts and fisher folks on Friday renewed their demand for the government to enact and enforce stronger policies to preserve Philippine seas on the eve of World Oceans Day.

The groups also urged all Filipinos to be part of the effort to revive the seas in a call that came a day ahead of the United Nations-led observance of World Oceans Day, which seeks to remind the public about how crucial the oceans are for humankind’s survival.

This year’s theme is “Together we have the power to protect the ocean!”

“All stakeholders must be involved in the rehabilitation of the Philippine seas,” said Dr. Perry Aliño of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute at a press briefing called by Greenpeace.

“We need to strengthen our existing social and ecological networks. Government mechanisms must be set up, with concrete solutions such as increasing the number and effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs),” he added.

According to the Greenpeace report “Oceans in the Balance,” “as the country’s marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangrove forests are being destroyed, we are extracting more and more fish from the sea than it can sustainably provide.”

“In short, we are not only emptying the oceans of fish, but we are also destroying vital habitats necessary for marine species to propagate,” the report said.

“We are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs,” said Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

“Our seas are nearing their tipping point—overfishing, destructive and illegal fishing, poaching, pollution and climate change are sucking the life out of our waters. There is a very urgent need for the government to elevate oceans protection as a matter of national priority. This needs to happen now before the country drowns in a sea of problems,” he said.

The report noted that in spite of the Fisheries Code of 1998, which mandates the protection of 15 percent of fishing grounds as marine protected areas, legislation seems unable to curb “pervasive illegal commercial fishing activities,” and the encroachment of foreign fishing vessels into the Philippine territory.

Small municipal fisher folks who are being edged out by massive industrial fishing operations are the ones who suffer the most, Greenpeace said.

The group said the high incidence of poverty in coastal fishing communities was reflective of the crisis due to declining marine ecosystems resulting from overfishing.

“There are around two million Filipino fishers who are heavily dependent on the sea,” said Maricel Gacela of Samahan ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda sa Calatagan.

“We all have nothing to fish and nothing to feed our families. With a net income of only P250 a day, most fisher folk end up in debt. Commercial fishing vessels take all the fish, sometimes from municipal fishing grounds, leaving us with very little fish to catch and barely enough money to cover gasoline costs for going out to sea,” she said.