2009 Annual Reports - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

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BFAR Regional Office 02Major Awards and Recognition Garnered for 2009oo2009 PAG-ASA Award – Dr. Jovita P. Ayson CESOIII. (please see feature story below)Four (4) passers of the Fisheries LicensureExamination namely Jyecebel C.Domingo, Aileen Z. Pelovello, R-jayC. Torres and Jay Arre M. Usquisa onOctober 27, 2009.- NSAP technical paper entitled “MarineFisheries Stock Assessment in Batanes Waters(Second Phase)” was presented and awarded 2 ndBest Research Paper during the Research andDevelopment In-House Review on October 1-2, 2009at Arinaya Beach Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.Vanguard of Region 2’s marine watersRD Ayson wins CSC PAG-ASA Awardmost notably the meting of guilty verdict, impositionof administrative fine, increase in the number ofapprehensions and the discovery of tactics employedby foreign fishers.Legal mandateRD Ayson receives her CSC PAG-ASA Award fromCSC Chair Orlando Salido and Executive SecretaryEduardo Ermita in Malacanang, Manila.Regional Director Jovita Ayson of the Bureauof Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region02 bagged the much coveted Pag-asa Award, adistinction bestowed by the Civil Service Commissionto outstanding public officials and employees whohave upheld the ideals of public service. Particularly,she bagged the award because of her unrelentingstance against poaching on top of other notableaccomplishments relative to the management of thefisheries sector in Cagayan Valley.The award makes it two in a row for the ladydirector as she was also accorded the equallyimpressive 1 st Gawad CES Presidential Award lastyear.The CSC has cited milestones achieved over thelong-standing anti-poaching campaign in region 02Article XII of the 1987 Philippine Constitutionprovides that the State shall protect the nation’smarine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorialsea and economic zone and reserves the use andenjoyment of such marine resources exclusively toFilipino citizens.Likewise, Section 87 of Republic Act 8550otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of1998 states that “it shall be unlawful for any foreignperson, corporation or entity to fish or operate anyfishing vessel in Philippine waters.”RD Ayson has taken to heart the implementationof this provision, upon marching orders of DirectorMalcolm Sarmiento, Jr. when BFAR was accorded linebureau status in 1998.Porous bordersPorous maritime borders, inadequate navalforces, lax fishery law enforcement has combinedand made Philippine territorial waters, to whatDir. Sarmiento terms as “economic playground” offoreign fishers.Given its proximity to neighboring countries orterritories, region 02 and the province of Palawan, areconsidered as hotbed of poaching in the Philippines.Marine resources that could have been harvested bylocal fishers are taken instead by foreign fishers, thuscontributing to poverty in the coastal areas.Another sad fact is that, poachers also targetprohibited and endangered species such as marineturtles, marine mammals, and rare shells.Increased apprehensionsData would reveal marked increase in the number28
ANNUAL REPORT 2009BFAR MCS patrol vessels on standby duty at PortIrene in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.of apprehensions of foreign fishing vessels in region02. For the period April 2002 to May 2003, therewere ten Taiwanese fishing vessels apprehended inregion 02 alone. Again, from the year 2006 to 2007,there were nine foreign fishing vessels apprehendedwithin the region. For the period December 2008 toBreakthroughBreakthrough would come in 2006 with thepayment of one hundred thousand US dollarsas compromise fine from two of five vesselsapprehended that year. On same year, BFAR RO2 hasalso recommended the cancellation of fishing vesselsand gear licenses of 21 fishing vessels registeredunder a dummy corporation. Another corporationhas also closed shop for same reason.To date, the bureau has collected a total oftwo hundred thirty thousand dollars or roughly12 million pesos as administrative penalties, thusadding to state coffers. This is in addition to a fewguilty verdicts handed by the courts. Not an easy featsince poachers are suspected to have connectionsdeep into the bureaucracy. It is also a common factthat poachers would escape custody with very flimsyreasons.The increased number of apprehension hasenabled BFAR to gain vital insights on the tacticspresent, there are 7 foreign vessels apprehended.This is due to the deployment of modern patrolcraft by BFAR and also operations made by otherfishery law enforcement agencies.The marked increase in the number ofapprehensions is a far cry from previous years whenforeign fishers were virtually untouchables and wereeven free to dock at the coastal towns of the region.Government records would show that theCagayan Valley region has been frequented byforeign fishers as early as the years just after theSecond World War.According to an estimate made in 2004, thecountry incurs an economic loss of 37 to 75 thousandUS dollar per foreign fishing vessel annually (atexchange rate of 50 pesos to 1 US dollar).employed by these foreign fishers such as the use ofdummy corporations and the renting out of CFVGLto other vessels.BFAR RO2 has also made recommendations forthe amendment and strengthening of current lawand the rectification of procedures in order to furtherconstrict window of opportunity of foreign poachers.Increase in fishery productionThe CSC, in bestowing Ayson with the award,has also noted the three-fold increase in fisheryproduction in Region 02 – from less than 20 thousandmetric tons in 1998 to more than 60 thousand MTlast year. The fish sufficiency level in region 02 alsomore than doubled from 24% to 56% during thesame period.29
Page 1 and 2: Department of AgricultureBureau of
Page 3 and 4: ANNUAL REPORT 2009INSIDEMessage of
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Page 8 and 9: BFAR Regional Office 022Nueva Vizca
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Page 12: BFAR Regional Office 02RFRDCBFAR RO
Page 15 and 16: ANNUAL REPORT 2009Agribusiness and
Page 17 and 18: ANNUAL REPORT 2009“Reeforestation
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Page 23 and 24: Carol Romero, fishery technician of
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Page 27 and 28: ANNUAL REPORT 2009Awarding of outst
Page 29 and 30: ANNUAL REPORT 2009Regional Staff to
Page 31 and 32: ANNUAL REPORT 2009Aquaculture Espec
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Page 37 and 38: ANNUAL REPORT 2009Assessment activi
Page 39 and 40: ANNUAL REPORT 2009Agricultural Pilo
Page 41 and 42: ANNUAL REPORT 2009Northern Luzon Fi
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Page 45 and 46: Aquaculture also tripled its produc

2009 Annual Reports - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

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