AGRICULTURE Secretary William D. Dar said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is already finalizing its study on the ongoing illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing (IUUF) in the West Philippine Sea, which involves poachers from China, Taiwan and Vietnam, among others.
“The Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources [DA-BFAR] looks at the ‘West Philippine Sea issue’ in general terms, that is, in the area of Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported Fishing [IUUF] activities by poachers—be they from China, Taiwan and Vietnam—and their ‘illegal presence’ wherever in the Philippine exclusive economic zone [EEZ], or simply within our country’s territorial waters,” Dar said in a statement on Monday.
“Meanwhile, we will continue to exert efforts to achieve food security through marine or capture fisheries, and sustained support to small, artisanal fisherfolk and their families,” Dar added.
These “efforts” include “limiting access to fishery and aquatic resources for the exclusive enjoyment of Filipino citizens” and ensuring
“rational and sustainable ecosystems-based management of aquatic resources in Philippine waters including the EEZ and adjacent high seas,” Dar said.
Other measures the government is pursuing, he added, are: protecting the rights of municipal fisherfolk in the preferential use of their respective municipal waters; and addressing other related IUUF concerns and issues, in cooperation with the respective local government units, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and relevant agencies.
The DA through its integrated fisheries program will continue to support fisherfolk and other industry stakeholders by setting up community-based hatcheries as sustainable source of fry and fingerlings for aquaculture farming (notably bangus, tilapia, shellfish) to boost local production and provide affordable fish to the public, Dar said.
It will also provide more and bigger boats to allow municipal fishers to venture farther, but within territorial waters and EEZ, and directly link fishers and aquaculturists to markets through the OpLan ISDa program, in coordination with Metro Manila LGUs, Dar added.
“Finally, we should continue to uphold our rights over the West Philippine Sea, and our EEZ, in general. Let us stand united to deter and end illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activities in our territorial waters,” he said.
Industry groups have estimated that the Philippines annually loses P300 billion worth of 3 million metric tons of fish supply due to Chinese illegal fishing activities in the West Philippine Sea. Recently, around 240 maritime militia vessels were spotted in the WPS.
The BusinessMirror broke the story last year that the Philippines maintained its stance to refuse support for any fisheries subsidies deal at the World Trade Organization (WTO) that excludes a provision on “illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, or IUUF, infringements” in disputed waters. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/11/27/phl-wont-accept-wto-fisheries-deal-without-an-iuuf-provision/)
The Philippines had proposed a new mechanism allowing WTO member-countries to determine IUUF infringements in waters being claimed by two or more nations.
But several countries, including China, which claims jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea, opposed the proposal. Beijing argues that IUUF determination in disputed waters is not within the purview of the WTO.
A Geneva-based source said China opposed the Philippines’s proposal during the November 24 meeting of the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules-Fisheries Subsidies “reasoning that maritime jurisdiction is an extremely sensitive issue for them.”
Image courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard via AP