CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Fisherfolk here are up in arms about the requirement of having to submit to the City Agriculture Office a detailed journal on the kind of fish they caught, sold, and consumed among others. Councilor James Judith II, in a meeting led by the city council’s committee on agriculture on Tuesday, April 18, presented his special report, relaying the concerns of the local fishermen that the supposed monthly reporting of data has become daily. "Sa mga subsistence nga fishermen, dili naman ni trabaho nila. Murag para sa ako, lisod (To those subsistence fishermen, this is not their job. For me, it’s hard)," said Judith. Since the monthly submission of data has only been required by the CAO here, Judith suggested making it every six months, adding the tallying of data should also be done for a certain focal person, either from the barangay or the association. Apart from the struggles with data reporting, the CAO was also asked by the councilor if they could also amend the order that requires the fishermen to renew their licenses every year, as well as their fishing vehicles. Pablo Rojas Jr., head of the CAO Fisheries Division who was also present during the committee meeting, said they already consulted the fishermen’s concerns and later expressed their favor for amending the monthly data reporting. To ease the burden on the fishermen, the CAO also contracted people on the ground called "Barangay Fisheries Extension Workers” for whom the office provides incentives to do the data gathering. A total of 20 individuals were contracted as barangay fisheries extension workers, of whom six – one worker per two barangays – have been assigned to the 12 coastal areas in the city. Meanwhile, the remaining 14 workers have been assigned to the upland areas. Councilor Yevonna Emano echoed the importance of the journal as a way to determine the situation and aquatic resources available in a particular coastal area. She supported the required submission of the journal, but in a way that wouldn’t add additional burden to the local fishermen. As to Judith’s concern when it comes to the validity of the fishermen’s license and fishing vehicle, Rojas said they can always amend the renewal requirement since there was no national mandate that strictly required the renewal every year. However, for the fishing vehicle’s registration, both Emano and Councilor Agapito Suan were in favor of the yearly or just prolonged registration for the security of the fisherfolk. "I would like that the burden be removed, but I also want to maintain the safety and security of our fisherfolk," Suan said, suggesting an easier registration process. At the later part of the meeting, Judith was asked to provide in written form his recommendations and amendments for the ordinance. Judith told the Manila Bulletin that he was aiming to finish his recommendations and amendments this week, and a following meeting will be conducted for the ordinance.