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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Fishers' group: Declaring part of PH Rise as protected area 'insufficient' to uphold territorial rights

Fishers' group: Declaring part of PH Rise as protected area 'insufficient' to uphold territorial rights

Published Jul 9, 2021 12:20 pm

Declaring only a portion of the Philippine Rise as a protected area is not enough to uphold the country’s territorial rights over the resource-rich marine waters, a militant fisher’s group said.

Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya)

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) has expressed support to several lawmakers who criticized House Bill No. 36 which seeks to declare a portion of the maritime waters a protected area.

The fisherfolk group said that proposed protected area, which only covers 352,390 hectares, “is too small to cover the entire feature.”

“Not even a quarter of the Philippine Rise would be covered by the protected area being sought by this house bill,” Pamalakaya national chairperson Fernando Hicap said in a recent statement.

“Moreover, there is no definite plan what would be the next step after placing a scanty portion of the rise under protection.”

The Philippine Rise is a 13-million hectare resources rich underwater plateau off Aurora province which is part of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Pamalakaya noted that the rise is endowed with abundant marine species like first-class tuna, and untapped mineral and gas deposits.

The fisherfolk group warned that “solely declaring a protected area would prevent local commercial fishing fleets from conducting fishing expedition, while leaving the Philippine Rise exposed to foreign industrial fishing vessels.”

Instead, Pamalakaya urged the government to sponsor and mobilize commercial fishing vessels to conduct fishing expedition in the Philippine Rise.

“To make the most of our marine and fishery resources, the government should seriously support our local fishing industry. For instance, it could commission our local fishing vessels that are capable of voyaging the Philippine Rise to conduct large-scale fishing expedition for domestic food needs,” Hicap said.

“Moreover, the government should develop our local marine scientific research to explore and utilize the untapped mineral and gas deposits in the Philippine Rise for our local industrial use,” he added.

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Philippine Rise pamalakaya
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