Fishing ban and other restrictions planned to combat overfishing

deleciousfood | September 19, 2023 | Seafood | No Comments

The file photo shows fishermen unloading their catch at the fishing port in General Santos City. (ERWIN MASCARIÑAS / INVESTIGATOR)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Tuesday he is considering a fishing ban and other restrictions in certain areas to combat overfishing and increase the country’s fish population.

Such measures, Marcos said, are part of the government’s plan to secure the country’s fish stocks, as well as other initiatives aimed at the agricultural sector to ensure food security.

“Sometimes you have to not deplete the fish for the next season, there are still some left. So that is what we are looking at now,” Marcos said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office.

(It is necessary not to deplete fish stocks for the next season. This is what we are currently evaluating.)

“And there are places that should not be used as fisheries because they are for breeding. To increase the population of fish. So that is what we are planning,” he added.

(And there are areas not intended for fishing, but only for fish farming in order to increase the fish population.)

DDeveloping Philippine agriculture, the president explained, means not only ensuring the supply of rice and corn, but also improving the aquaculture and livestock sectors.

Aside from the fishing ban, Marcos said the government is already setting up more cold storage facilities to prevent spoilage, as 30 percent of fish caught are either degraded or damaged.

“Then what we will follow next is the treatment will only be treated for this one location. That’s what we plan for the fishery,” he added.

(The next stage is the processing stage, where processing will be centralized.)