Stricter security measures in place along Tañon Strait 

As part of efforts to heighten security measures along Tañon Strait Protected Landscape, the government has alloted P4 million to purchase patrol boats to monitor and apprehend illegal fishers.

“We are improving our floating assets and other facilities, so we will be more consistent in patrolling Tañon Strait,” said Am Prospero Lendio, Tañon Strait Protected Area Superintendent.

Tañon Strait lies between the islands of Negros and Cebu that connects the Visayan Sea in the north to the Bohol Sea in the south. The Strait covers 42 towns and cities in Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Negros Occidental and is host to 14 species of dolphins, whales, mangroves and coral reefs.

Oceana, an international ocean conservation and advocacy organization, called on the government to implement the enhanced General Management Plan that will strengthen law enforcement against commercial fishing along Tañon Strait.

“Tañon Strait is a marine biodiversity hotspot. Effective management mechanisms should be put in place, along with strong law enforcement, to ensure that this unique natural heritage is protected and safe from commercial fishing and destructive activities,” Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Vice President for Oceana Philippines, said.

More than 200 members of the Protected Management Area Board (PMAB) approved the General Management Plan for Tañon Strait last March 10.

The management plan is aimed at protecting marine habitats through increased patrolling and apprehension, prosecution of violators, and training of law enforcers.

Oceana is assisting law enforcement personnel, including the special prosecutors for protected areas, through training in environment and fisheries laws, in partnership with the Department of Justice, Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Isabelo Montejo, DENR Regional Director for Central Visayas, said: “The patrol work of our courageous personnel and partners led to a significant decline in the number of commercial fishers within the national park.”

The Protected Area Office of the DENR arrested four commercial fishing vessels last year in a joint seaborne operation in the Tañon Strait Protected Landscape. — BAP, GMA News