Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez called for action to support blue swimming crab fisherfolks during the launching of the first Regional Congress of Panay-Negros-Guimaras Crab Fishers Alliance (PANEG-CA) recently in Bacolod City, which brought together fisherfolks from Negros, Panay, and Guimaras.
In his speech, Benitez noted that Philippine blue swimming crabs are internationally recognized as unsustainably fished.
“Issues such as habitat damage and overfishing continue to exert significant pressure on our blue swimming crab population,” he said, noting also that “fishing mortality rates are too high, and it is getting sufficiently alarming.”
As one of the solutions to the issue, Benitez emphasized the need for hatcheries to replenish the population, the creation of reserved areas, and implementing closed seasons to give crabs time to grow.
He also lauded the unity of fisherfolks from Panay, Guimaras, and Negros, emphasizing the necessity to transcend political boundaries and adopt a whole-of-nation approach to ecosystem-based fisheries management.
He informed participants of the regional congress of legislative initiatives that Congress is working on to support fisherfolks, including a review of the Fisheries Code and the Integrated Coastal Area Management bill.
Benitez is the author of the Blue Economy Bill, which seeks to mandate agencies to coordinate zoning for fishing grounds, transport, and other uses for the seas and oceans.
“The world of nature does not abide by our political boundaries,” said Benitez, as he also stressed the need to coordinate efforts, to avoid fragmentation in policies.
In a statement, Benitez assured fisherfolks that he will continue to help them achieve democratic and sustainable fisheries.
(Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy by TVDS)
