Climate change, ocean pollution and over fishing threaten the country’s food security as they already affect communities that rely on rich marine ecosystems for food, the Greenpeace a worldwide organization that advocates protection and conservation of the environment said.
Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia expressed alarm over the unprecedented destruction of the Philippine marine ecosystem due to the unabated illegal fishing practices that led in the dwindling of fish catch.
Greenpeace statistics show that the Philippines have 24 fishing grounds with an estimated production of 5.1 million metric tons of fish.
Of the 24 fishing grounds, 13 fishing grounds, or 54 percent, are over exploited due to overfishing.
Cinches said the inaction of local and national authorities in addressing these problems would endanger the country’s marine resources.
He said marine resources were under threat from massive overfishing and unsound fishing practices that are already affecting communities that rely on rich marine ecosystems for food.
Overfishing is the major threat in the marine ecosystem that endangers not only the fishing industry but livelihood and food security of a community.
Cinches said illegal and unregulated fishing practices, especially those used by large fishing vessels, contribute significantly to the depletion of marine resources, he said.
Cinches said that the country’s marine resources are in crisis, the government must act on these emergency situation as he urged the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to come up with a fisheries rescue roadmap by intensifying its campaign against illegal fishing and the establishment of more marine reserves and sanctuaries.[PNA]
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