STOP ILLEGAL FISHING
OR FACE STIFF SANCTIONS
By Manny Piñol
Regional Directors of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) who fail to stop illegal fishing activities in their areas will face immediate administrative sanctions, including relief and suspension.
I am making this public announcement through this Facebook page after a follower who is obviously from Zamboanga City, Hader Glang, shared with me photos of baby sharks in net baskets which he said were being sold openly along R. T. Lim Avenue in the City.
“ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IS HAPPENING EVERY MORNING ALONG R. T. LIM BOULEVARD NEAR BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES – REGIONAL FIELD OFFICE-9 — and the authorities are just blindly ignoring it. Sharks are endangered species and protected under Republic Act 10654, also known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. Under the law, it is unlawful for anyone to catch, transport, export, and sell any endangered of these marine species. Anyone caught violating the law can be fined P500,000 to P5 million, or face imprisonment from 12 to 20 years. How much money are you making from obtrusion? Or magkano ba ang kinikita niyo sa pagpapalusot?,” Glang said in his post.
I can understand his frustration and I have to admit I was dismayed upon seeing the photos.
The Regional Director of BFAR in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Isidro Velayo, is one of the good-performing directors of the Bureau but with this evidence of illegal fishing in his area, I am publicly directing him to stop these illegal activities in the region in two weeks or face sanctions.
The campaign against illegal fishing has always been a challenging task for the BFAR because many of those involved in illegal fishing operations are protected by local officials or are the local officials themselves.
Recently, three Mayors in the CALABARZON area were slapped with administrative charges for their involvement in illegal fishing.
Two weeks ago, I also ordered the relief of the Regional Director of BFAR Region 1, Nestor Domenden, because of his failure to address blast fishing and other illegal fishing activities in the coastal areas of Ilocos.
I would like to thank Hader Glang for his vigilance in reporting what he saw was an illegal activity. It is only when citizens help government monitor illegal activities that we will be able to succeed in effecting change.
The Department of Agriculture (DA)-BFAR will closely coordinate with the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the enforcement of fisheries laws.
(Photos of the young sharks were downloaded from the Facebook Page of Hader Glang.)
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