BFAR 7 Forms Composite Teams Against Illegal Fishing in Central Visayas

An official of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7 said the inter-government agencies tasked in the campaign against illegal fishing will form composite teams in cities and municipalities in Central Visayas to have a check and balance and to prevent bribery.

BFAR 7 Director Andres Bojos said the teams will be composed of personnel from the BFAR, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Customs and Maritime Industry Authority, among others.

“Even in Tañon Strait, the composite team will be joined by the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) so there is no way to bribe personnel by those caught in the act of illegal fishing because there is check and balance,” Bojos said.

Bojos said Republic Act (RA) 10654, which amended RA 8550, or the Philippine Fisheries Code, gives more power to BFAR to run after illegal fishers, impose fines and even prosecute them criminally in competent court.

Illegal fishers are classified as big commercial fishersencroaching on municipal waters within the 15-kilometer distance from the land and reserved for marginal fishermen and the marginal fisherfolks who use dynamite and cyanide that destroy the sea.

Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, fourth district), the principal author of RA 10654, said the composite teams hopes to eradicate the past experiences where unscrupulous people would reportedly pose as BFAR officials and would extort money from illegal fishers.

Salimbangon said the penalty under the old law, RA 8550, was affordable at only PHP10,000, which made the law “useless.”

“We increased the fines because even the international community complained that the Philippines is not serious in solving illegal fishing because the penalty is token,” he said.

Commodore Enrico Evangelista, the chief of the PCG Central Visayas, said the illegal fishing campaign is an integrated effort and in partnership with BFAR and other government agencies concerned.

Evangelista said Coast Guard personnel are manning 10 monitoring control surveillance (MCS) of BFAR to track down the commercial fishers.

Bojos said commercial vessels must be registered under the Automatic Identification System where vessels will be installed a transponder, an equipment of which the MCS can trace their locations. (PNA) FFC/EB/EBP