Environmental groups hit Malabon court ruling lifting ban on destructive fishing method

Civil society groups are up in arms over the Malabon Regional Trial Court's order lifting a ban on the use a destructive fishing method.

 A joint statement from 16 people's organizations and civil society groups sent to GMA News Online said the lifting of the ban is a direct attack on a provision of Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

Section 92 of RA 8550 provides that it is "unlawful for any person to fish with gear method that destroys coral reefs, sea grass beds, and other fishery marine life habitat as may be determined by the Department."

Malabon Regional Trial Court  Branch 170 Judge Zaldy B. Docena has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the implementation of Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO)  246, or the banning of the operation of Danish Seine (DS) and Modified Danish Seine (MDS) in Philippine waters.

These types of dragnets are destructive to marine life and habitat, the statement said.

"We believe that DS and MDS [locally called Hulbot-Hulbot] contribute significantly to the continued degradation of coral reefs and sea grass beds..." the groups' statement said.

"By using tom weights or linggote attached to fishing nets, living marine organisms and aquatic life beneath the sea are dragged and destroyed. We would like to reiterate that even the sheer number of fishing gears makes the fishing activity destructive in itself," it added.

FAO 246 of the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR) states that [Hulbot-Hulbot] "is a fishing gear consisting of a conical net with a pair of wings, the ends are connected to a rope embedded with plastic strips, buri, sinkers or any materials need to serve as scaring or herding device and hauled through a mechanical winch or by manpower."

The groups and a number of individual advocates are seeking court intervention against the Malabon RTC's ruling lifting the ban.

Also they expressed their support for the BFAR with its intention to effectively protect our fishing grounds by banning the use of destructive fishing gear as well as the bureau's strict implementation of the Philippine Fisheries Code. — Iris Banua /LBG, GMA News