The DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Western and Central Visayas, and Bicol Region, have joined forces to intensify monitoring and surveillance activities in key fishing areas across of the Fisheries Management Area (FMA) 11, including the Visayan Sea, Guimaras Strait, and Tañon Strait.
BFAR6 director Remia Aparri and director Mario Ruinata of BFAR7 spearheaded a meeting last week in Iloilo City with law enforcement personnel from the three regions, in the intensified campaign against modified Danish seine (MDS), or hulbot-hubot.
Banning modified Danish seine fishing is part of the government’s broader efforts to promote sustainable fisheries management and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the BFAR6 said, adding that with the continued collaboration among government agencies, local communities, and stakeholders, the Philippines aims to achieve a more sustainable and resilient fisheries sector.
“MDS has long been scraping our reefs, and robbing both municipal and commercial fishers who are legally fishing for bounties of the Visayan Sea,” BFAR6 said in a statement. “With its winged conical net, tom weight, and scaring device dragging along the ocean floor, MDS targets pelagic and demersal species while leaving destroyed seagrass beds, coral reefs, and the seafloor in its wake.”
This practice has been widely criticized for contributing to overfishing and habitat degradation, posing a threat to the biodiversity and sustainability of the country’s fisheries resources. The BFAR, in Fisheries Administrative Order No. 246-1, bans the operation of Danish Seine and Modified Danish Seine in Philippine waters.
Under the FAO, “mere possession of hulbot-hulbot and/or any of its paraphernalia” is deemed prima facie evidence of the violation. This means that a person can be presumed to have committed an illegal act simply by having a prohibited item in their possession.
A municipal or commercial fisherman found using modified Danish seine will face penalties, including the confiscation of fishing gear, fines as high as P2 million, and possible suspension or revocation of fishing licenses, the BFAR said.
Aparri emphasized the importance of monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) in municipal and commercial waters.
“Our operational plan for the remaining months of the year will include deploying our floating assets,” she stressed. “We have already started this before the pandemic for the Visayan Sea close season, now we aim to model this approach for other FMAs as one of our best practices.”
Ruinata added that the initiative, which is a new model for the country, can be sustained until February 2025 for the Visayan Sea close season.
There were 2,000 functional hulbot-hulbot and trawl operators in the Visayan Sea, as per a 2018 inventory of the BFAR-USAID Fish Right Program, with the municipalities of Cawayan and Placer, both in Masbate, having the highest incidence of operation.
Some were also found in northern Negros and northern Iloilo, the BFAR said. “Using the IUU Fishing Index and Threat Assessment Tool in 2021, it was also found that an estimated P16 million per day cannot be accounted for and practically lost due to hulbot-hulbot.”
The three regional offices of the BFAR committed to apprehending targeted hulbot-hulbot vessels, rigorous filing of administrative and criminal cases, and continuous information campaign about IUU fishing.
Under the leadership of Aparri, the BFAR 6 organized the country’s first Regional Inter-Agency Task Force against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (RIATF-IUUF) in 2022, with the Department of Interior and Local Government6, Police Regional Office6, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Philippine Coast Guard Western Visayas, Philippine Navy, Regional Maritime Group, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency6, Maritime Industry Authority, National Telecommunications Commission, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, and the Bureau of Customs Port of Iloilo.
These efforts are all aligned with the goals of the FMA 11 Management Framework 2022-2026, including the practical elimination of top IUU fishing practices and the establishment of capacitated and well-coordinated fisheries law enforcement. ||
