Report Illegal Fishing – BFAR

“Help protect our seas to ensure food security.”

This is the call of the Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-7) here amid the declining fish production in Central Visayas due to illegal fishing.

Fish production in the region dropped year-on-year as based on a five-year comparative yield shown by BFAR-7 from 2013 to 2017.

Data revealed that fish production in the region fell to 33 percent.

In 2013, fish production was recorded at 226,630 metric tons (MT), which decreased to 193,892 MT in 2014 and further dropped to 186,048 MT the following year.

In 2016, fish production again went down to 184,072MT and plummeted further to 151,497MT in 2017.

“Illegal fishing is the culprit behind the massive drop of fish production in the region,” said Mario Ruinata, chief of the BFAR-7 Office for Special Concerns.

Bohol has the highest fish production among the provinces in the region, but in the five-year period this plunged to 44 percent, said Ruinata.

In statistical terms, this translates from 132,003 MT fish production in 2013 down to 73,471 MT in 2017.

Following Bohol is Cebu with 76,563MT fish production in 2013, which decreased to 62,655MT in 2017 while Negros Oriental yielded 14,339 MT that dove to 11,794MT in the same period.

Siquijor came in last with 3,723 MT fish production in 2013 which fell to 3,575MT five years later.

Ruinata said Central Visayas has 5.894 million fish-eating population but its fish sufficiency level is only at 38.31 percent.

Around 40 percent of the current production of 151,497MT is the seaweeds produced, which leaves only 86,948MT fish yield, said the BFAR-7 official.

With estimated supplies being provided by other regions at 3,528 MT, this leaves an estimate net balance shortage of 136,460MT annually.

BFAR7 said it plans to increase production target by 5,582MT or equivalent to at least 3.5 percent hike for 2019 in order to bridge the fish insufficiency gap in the region.

Strategic actions identified included increasing the production of the municipal and aquaculture sub-sectors while maintaining the production from the commercial sub-sector as well as strengthening institutional capacities of fishing communities.

But parallel to its planned actions is the active support and involvement of the public to report to their agency any illegal fishing activities in their area to put an end to exploitation of our seas and marine resources, said Ruinata.

BFAR-7 encouraged the public to take action and immediately report any illegal fishing activities by simply texting ILLEFISH (space), Area (space), Information (space) and Name of Reporter to 0956-6527469 for Globe and 0998-5975947 for Smart subscribers. (fcr/pia7)