October 20, 2010 (10:00 A.M.)
Management Council (FARMC) Against Illegal Fishing
Provincial Operation of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Municipal Covered Court
Sta. Cruz, Laguna
(Greetings)
Our country has been blessed with abundant natural resources that make it one of the
most ecologically-viable nations in the planet. From the vast range of authentic flora and fauna,
to the magnificent coral reefs and fish that dwell beneath, being an archipelagic nation is
something every Filipino must feel proud of. With two-point-two (2.2) kilometers of highly
productive seas, our marine areas are truly one of the most biodiverse in the world.
Back in 2003, the Philippines was hailed as the eleventh among the top fish-producing
countries. We have accumulated an overwhelmingly bountiful production of two-point-sixty three
(2.63) million tones of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic plants. In the 80’s the
country became the number one producer of tuna in the whole South East Asia. Tuna fisheries
became the largest and most valuable fisheries in the country. However, as the country’s marine
organisms and fisheries show signs of over fishing, the fishnets which used to be filled with lot of
catch started to decline. Filipino fishing companies halted casting their nets in our hostile shores,
and began fishing in international waters.
Dear friends, our most productive coral reefs are now one of the most endangered in the
world. It has been constantly deteriorating for the past three decades. In 2004, top marine
scientists ranked our country as number one among the top ten marine hotspots. Our bodies of
water have been reported to contain only twenty-four (24) percent of the world’s coral reefs. The
United Nations Environmental Program or UNEP published in their World Atlas of Coral Reefs that
97% of the reefs in the Philippines have been put in peril due to illegal and destructive fishing
methods including cyanide poisoning, overfishing, or from deforestation and urbanization that
result in harmful sediment spilling into the sea.
Despite our very high biodiversity, our coral reefs have been very badly damaged. From
a wide array of natural resources then, only 5% of the marine biodiversity is left in excellent
condition. These are the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park in Palawan, Apo Island in Negros Oriental,
Apo Reef in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, and Verde Island Passage off Batangas. Famous marine
scientist Don McAllister remarked that our reefs have been damaged unlike any other in the
world, and this has caused a wide-spread alarm to our government and society.
Ten (10) to 15 (15) percent of our fish harvest comes from coral reefs. And about eighty
(80) to ninety (90) percent of the income of small community islands is from fishing. A single reef
holds about 3,000 marine life species. For healthy reefs, about twenty (20) to twenty five (25)
metric tons of harvest is yielded per annum.
As the fishing industry entered the 90’s, fishermen became more aggressive in their
activities, thus resorting to illegal methods such as over fishing, cyanide, and dynamite fishing.
Due to the rising threats of probable marine resources extinction, the government
alongside other concerned non-government organizations has taken intense measures to solve
this dilemma. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has conducted several
demolitions of illegal fishing pens, deployment of personnel in hotspot areas, and giving the antiillegal fishing laws in the country more teeth, to cease the prevalent use of cyanide in fishing
activities. Illegal activities are being banned in areas largely affected by this marine life
deterioration.
Human interest has pushed the bounds of our ecology. Now, we are facing the possibility
of destruction taking total devour on our marine reefs. But it is never too late if we act upon this
matter. These resources were given to us by God to grow and nurture as His earth’s stewards. If
the present generation wouldn’t take the necessary actions to end this environmental
predicament, then the future generations will have nothing to embrace, study, and marvel on.
As the rate of poverty-stricken individuals rise, it is not unusual why people prioritize
making profit and tend to forget their responsibilities of utilizing our natural resources with
discipline and regulation. Through our joint efforts, the portals of the marine reef can breathe
easier with the piling vigilance of government officials and concerned citizens.
Ladies and gentlemen, our coral reefs are at the verge of total eradication. The seas
once swum by different fish and marine life of all shapes and sizes are turning into empty, lifeless
bodies of water. Fortunately, the province of Laguna has exerted great efforts in maintaining its
marine resources. In an era where dire need of aquatic resource management is necessary, our
province still has the widest array of marine blessings. Therefore, we must set a good example to
our neighboring provinces on how we have maintained these aquatic biodiversity.
Programs like the restoration and beautification of Laguna de Bay have been pioneered
so as to realize two of our governor’s k2 Kinse Kumpleto serbisyo publiko program, which is to
promote agricultural productivity for coastal and fisheries resource management, and the
environmental protection and preservation of the natural resources. Rest assured, the provincial
government shall give its 100% support to the efforts of the DENR and affiliates in assuring the
safety and revival of the country’s marine resources so that the future generations can run across
the shores, bathing in the heat of sunshine as they enjoy the wonders of our water resources.
With this, I would like to leave each of you a thought to ponder on. It has been said
many times that if we fish for a man, he will eat for a day, but if we teach him how to fish, then
he shall eat for a lifetime. Let us modify these words in caring for the environment, and make
this our motto in caring for the aquatic resources. “Take care of the aquatic resources, and we
assure another day in its cycle; Nurture it and use it with discipline, and it shall provide us food
and resources for a lifetime”!
Thank you and may you have a blessed day ahead!
Source: /www.qondio.com/illegal-fishing-and-coral-destruction-in-the-philippines