An international ocean conservation and advocacy organization has called on the government to issue guidelines to protect the country’s major fishing grounds, to curb overfishing and illegal fishing activities in municipal waters and ensure the livelihood of small fishers. “The policy, as among those provided for under the amended Fisheries Code, pertains to the designation of Fisheries Management Areas, or FMAs, in the country. It is envisioned that a comprehensive science-based fisheries management plan will be enforced on these areas to ensure sustained productivity and protect them from overfishing, illegal fishing, and destructive fishing practices that destroy critical marine habitats,” said environment lawyer and vice president of Oceana Philippines. She added that the designation of FMAs is needed to rebuild and restore the abundance of the country’s fishing grounds, two-thirds of which are considered "overfished."

The Department of the Interior and Local Government recently issued a memorandum circular for coastal local government units to regulate and monitor fishery activities in their municipal waters. It likewise rolled out nationwide a scorecard for local government units (LGUs) to fill up, as a self-validating transparency and monitoring tool in assessing its compliance with the amended Fisheries Code.

Source: Philippines News Agency, 27 September 2018