In exchange of unhampered illegal fishing: Some LGU execs get monthly payoffs - fishing boat owners

Some commercial fishing boat owners in the region have disclosed names of local government officials who have been receiving money from them in exchange for their unhampered illegal fishing activities, said Visayan Sea Squadron team leader Antonio Oposa yesterday.

Oposa and Bantay Dagat program coordinator Jojo dela Victoria said they already have the lists of these local officials and others who have been acting as protectors of illegal fishing in regional waters in exchange for money.

The two officials in the anti-illegal fishing campaign said they have been waiting for these fishing boat operators to execute affidavits backing their claims against these local politicians.

Based on the information so far gathered, Oposa said one of these local officials has been receiving at least P1-million a month from fishing boats' owners to allow them to continue with their illegal activities particularly in the Visayas Sea and offshore some northern towns of Cebu.

Dela Victoria said there are some commercial fishers who continue to engage in illegal activities resulting in the destruction of marine resources in the Visayas Sea.

He vowed to go after these illegal fishers, saying, "If they will follow the law, then we have no problem but if they resist and fire at us, I will sink them, period!"

Dela Victoria said the Visayan Sea was once called the Alaska of the Philippines for its rich and seemingly inexhaustible marine resources. But recent studies of the University of the Philippines classified the Visayan Sea already an "over-fished" area.

The most "over-fished" areas in Cebu are the seas off Bantayan and Madridejos towns, Dela Victoria said, adding that such situation prompted the closure the Visayan Sea to commercial fishing.

The closure of the Visayan Sea meanwhile had gained support from some fishing boat owners, particularly Pabling Olivar who owns a fleet of these vessels.

Olivar told The Freeman that, since the campaign started 12 days ago, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of fishes in the area.

Olivar said some of his peers have backed the move because they were aware of the substantial benefits such action may bring in the end, aside from the restoration of the sea's beauty.

"I know this is a big sacrifice on our part but I am willing to support the move because this is for the benefit of everybody. We have already stopped operations for a month now and we have already seen the effect," Olivar said. - Jasmin R. Uy