The Philippines will share with other countries its experience in the campaign to implement sustainable programs in fisheries during the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York from June 5 to 9.
The Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) Program which recently chose the most outstanding coastal towns with the cleanest fishing grounds, no illegal fishing, a 3-month closed fishing season, a declared marine sanctuary and a protected mangrove area will be presented during the conference along with the soon-to-be-launched Project BASIL or Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa, an inland fisheries development program.
The Philippines was asked by Sweden to send a high-level delegation to the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York from June 5 to 9 to work out an international plan to keep the world’s oceans clean and capable of feeding future generations.
Swedish Ambassador Harald Fries conveyed the invitation to me personally during an official call he made last week on the Philippine Secretary of Agriculture.
Sweden is hosting the Conference along with Fiji.
With a coastal line of 39,284 kilometres, the Philippines is one of the key countries in the international campaign to protect the oceans and keep it sustainable.
The Philippines will be sending a delegation which I will personally lead and composed of a technical and scientific team from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Ambassador Fries has asked me to present during the conference the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) Program of the country which awards coastal towns with the cleanest fishing grounds.
The MMK, which was launched this year, awarded the town of Cortes, Surigao del Sur with P20-M in livelihood funds for keeping their fishing grounds clean and for observing a 3-month closed fishing season.
Also to be presented during the conference is the National Inland Fisheries Development Program called Project BASIL (Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa) which seeks the repopulation of inland bodies of water including rivers with fingerlings of indigenous and non-invasive fish species to ease up the pressure on the oceans.
(Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol discusses the fisheries program of the Department of Agriculture with Swedish Ambassador Harald Fries during the latter’s courtesy call on April 18, Tuesday. Fries invited Secretary Piñol to attend the United Nation Ocean Conference slated on June 5-9 in New York. He also said Sweden is interested in importing Philippine mangoes. Piñol said the DA will explore the possibility of transporting Philippine mangoes to Sweden. Photo by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA-AFID)
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