MANILA, Philippines — For the first time, the government has permanently revoked the license of a fishing vessel for repeatedly encroaching municipal waters.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has revoked the license of FV Raizza, owned by a certain Rizza Alcedo, for violating the Fisheries Code’s ban on commercial fishing in municipal waters three times.
The adjudication committee likewise imposed a fine on the vessel.
International group Oceana has welcomed the decision, saying the permanent revocation of license serves as an effective deterrence to illegal commercial fishing in municipal waters.
“We urge BFAR to hasten the implementation of the vessel monitoring measures to deter the intrusion of commercial fishing vessel operators into the municipal waters. We have to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to restore deteriorating fisheries and marine resources, especially in the municipal waters,” Oceana Philippines vice president Gloria Ramos said.
Oceana, in partnership with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, formed the Karagatan Patrol platform which encourages online reporting of illegal fishing from enforcement agencies and citizens.
“Karagatan Patrol’s monitoring of infrared satellite finds continuous presence of super lights supposedly coming from commercial fishing vessels in municipal waters all over the country,” Ramos said.
“However, only the implementation of vessel monitoring system will verify the reported violation and we are happy that some responsible commercial fishing vessel operators support the implementation of the monitoring, control and surveillance provisions of the Fisheries Code,” she said.
The Subic Commercial Fishing Association Inc. fully supports the requirement of vessel monitoring measures as a means to monitor fishing activities and ensure that all commercial fishing vessels comply with the law banning commercial fishing in municipal waters.
“This can also help ensure the safety of our fisherfolks in cases of emergency. Our organization is also calling on our government to protect our rights as we go beyond municipal waters and face poachers in the West Philippine Sea who prevent us from fishing in what is rightfully our territorial waters,” the group said.