BATANGAS CITY — The provincial government is set to craft this year its Highlands to Oceans (H2O) policy framework in the implementation of concrete steps to conserve the rich highland and marine protected areas of Batangas.
According to Batangas provincial public information office chief Jenelyn A. Aguilera, the Provincial Government-Environment and Natural Resources Office (PG-ENRO), Batangas Marine Protected Area and the Bantay Dagat (sea guardians) Network are drafting the framework to ensure environmental law enforcement and avert any piggery and poultry wastes to spill into the marine environment.
Aguilera said Thursday, the framework is seen to strictly monitor the highland and coastal resources through critical collaboration, heightened coordination and cooperation among the stakeholders especially in the upland and coastal villages.
She said the PG-ENRO and 15 representatives from the coastal local government units (LGUs) and its network of environment enforcement groups and Bantay Dagat chairpersons endorsed last March 23, a resolution to increase the number of patrol boats for enforcement, surveillance and monitoring of the coastal areas.
The meeting also tackled Republic Act 10654 which amended the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (or Republic Act No. 8550) as the law that aims to deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
Aside enforcement and regulation to deter illegal fishing, the amended law also covers several aspects of the Fisheries Code that specify new management and conservation measures to conserve and manage living marine resources, fisheries and aquaculture in the country.
The Batangas PG-ENRO and the fisheries sector have been active in reconstituting or establishing fisheries institutions at the local government level prompting them to review early this year the fourth and longer seasonal closure of fishing grounds in Balayan, Talin and Nasugbu Bays.
The seasonal closure is a form of spatial control in certain fishing grounds to protect spawning of fishes under the Fisheries Code in order to rehabilitate the marine resources now depleting due to overfishing.
The PG-ENRO and stakeholders have agreed to intensify their information dissemination to the town constituents in the seasonal closure coverage areas; broaden the resolution network and lengthen the seasonal closure period.
Aguilera said the Batangas provincial government pioneered in the country’s inter-Local Government Unit (LGU) Seasonal Closure Initiative covering 11 fishing grounds across 11 coastal towns.
The seasonal closure initiative was adopted due to the declining fish harvest from the 11 town’s shoreline fishing grounds and bay areas; to ward off illegal fishing; excessive fishing of the small fish variety; and the destruction of the fish habitat and ensure a sustainable supply of fish and marine resources. (PNA)
