Dir. Cayanan joins gov’t panel at ‘Fish Talk’, stresses support for establishment of fisherfolk settlement

DA-BFAR Dir. Asis Perez leads the forum for fisherfolk, dubbed as “Fish Talk”, on May 29.

(Photo by DA-BFAR Central Office)

Around 500 fisherfolk from different organizations and provinces in Luzon convened at a forum organized by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), as part of the culmination of the Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month, May 29 at the Philippine Coconut Authority Covered Court in Diliman, Quezon City.

Dubbed as “Fish Talk”, the event served as an opportunity to address issues affecting the fisheries sector and further strengthen the partnership between the fishery stakeholders and the government.

The discussion focused on the welfare of Filipino fisherfolk, particularly on issues regarding fisherfolk settlement areas, Republic Act (RA) 8550 as amended by RA 10654 on municipal water delineation, and the existence of Danish Seine fishing despite the issuance of Fisheries Administrative Order No. 246 in 2013 banning the operation of Danish Seine and Modified Danish Seine in Philippine waters.

The NAPC has been consistently advocating for the establishment of fisherfolk settlement through the issuance of guidelines as mandated by Section 108 of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, as amended by RA10654.

In a resolution adopted on May 28, the NAPC Artisanal Fisherfolk Sectoral Council (AFSC) urged the DA-BFAR, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and NAPC for the immediate issuance of the said implementing guidelines.

“The fisherfolk are the most vulnerable in times of disasters and calamities as observed when millions of fisherfolk were greatly affected by super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013,” members of the NAPC AFSC said in the resolution.

Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) Executive Director Ariel Cayanan stressed that the agency, through the National Sectoral Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (PCAF-CFA), strongly supports the implementation of the provision of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 on the establishment of settlement areas for fisherfolk.

In his message, Dir. Cayanan shared PCAF-CFA’s Resolution No. 4, Series of 2015 recommending the conduct of a fisherfolk settlement policy forum. He also said that this issue can be a part of the agenda of the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Also on May 28, PCAF-CFA passed a resolution supporting this effort. Dialogues have also been held with the DA and NAPC on the matter.

Other officials present at the forum were NAPC Sec. Jose Eliseo Rocamora, BFAR National Director Asis Perez, DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, and NAPC sector representative Ruperto Aleroza among others.

To cap off the activity, a boodle fight was held for the fisherfolk and government officials present. (With report from DA-BFAR Central Office)