Negros, West Visayas Small Fishers Engage in National Blue Economy Workshop

MANILA – Small fisher leaders from Negros Island and the Western Visayas Region are now actively engaging in the National Consultation on the Blue Economy here at the SM Convention Center, MOA Complex, Pasay City.

Leaders of the Panay-Negros-Guimaras Crab Fishers Alliance (PANEG-CA) joined with around 200 other fisher and civil society leaders and government representatives from other parts of the country in the two-day consultative workshops. The event is being sponsored by the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation (RPDEV) and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM).

The Blue Economy is a development model that aims to use ocean resources sustainably while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. It is defined by the Fourth Ministerial Forum on Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of Asia in Changwon City, Republic of Korea in 2012 as “a practical ocean-based economic model using green infrastructure and technologies,innovative financing mechanisms and pro-active institutional arrangements for meeting twin goals of protecting our oceans and coasts and enhancing its potential contribution to sustainable development…”

PRRM-Negros Area Manager Edwin Balajadia said the Blue Economy framework is important for the country considering that 80% of the country totalling around 2.2 million square kms. are territorial waters and exclusive economic zones and majority of its population (two-thirds) are in coastal areas.

Given the mass poverty of small fishers and coastal communities, a Blue Economy framework and policy is urgently needed to alleviate fishers poverty, secure fishers livelihoods and protect the fisheries and aquatic resources from unbridled resource extraction like coastal and offshore mining and illegal fishing, Balajadia averred.

Currently, the Blue Economy Act has been approved both in the Senate and Congress in late 2023. But a Bicameral Committee has still to be convened to speed up its enactment.

Benjie Ganancial, leader of the Guimaras Small Fishers Alliance (GUISFA) said the event is timely in order for the small fishers and local governments in coastal areas to work together to improve fisheries governance.

Franchalie Lauro, leader of the Concepcion Small Fishers Alliance (COSFA) in northern Iloilo and also PANEG-CA vice chair, cited the role of the Blue Economy in enhancing the sustainable management and development of critical fish resources like the Blue Swimming Crabs ( BSCs). He said support from government especially from BFAR and LGUs are direly needed in sustaining the livelihood of BSC fishers.* (Hazel Aghon)