2009 Annual Reports - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

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