Ban of seaweed sans proper docs sought

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Board is moving to ban the transshipment, shipment and transportation of “samo/kwapo” (Sargassum Polycystum) or other seaweeds species from localities outside Cebu Province without proper documents.

 Board Member Thadeo Ouano introduced the ban through proposed amendments to the Provincial Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ordinance of Cebu, which was approved on May 17, 2012.

 Ouano said the ordinance has yet to gain appropriate mechanism to achieve full capacity such as, but not limited to, budgetary matters, establishment of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force and the Cebu Provincial and Aquatic Resource Adjudication Board.

 He said the CPAIFTF and FARAB play an indispensable role in improving the visibility, accessibility and accuracy of information pertinent to implementation.

 â€œDynamic to the dictates of necessity and the need to address the loophole which could result to an implementation gap, it is imperative to amend the section concerning the ban on the extraction and gathering Samo/Kwapo and other seaweeds species as the current ordinance fails to include the transshipment/shipment/transporting of seaweeds coming from other provinces which are without proper and lacking the legal documents,” Ouano’s resolution reads.

 The proposed fines for violating the ordinance include a P3,000 administrative fine per violator and P1,000 per kilo of samo/kwapo or other seaweed species seized.  (FREEMAN)