Various security issues on the West Philippine Sea which affect the ocean’s biodiversity and marine resources were tackled in a forum held on Monday, April 17.
According to the Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Esther Bayate, fishing communities in the West Philippine Sea experience threats in their livelihood brought by extreme weather events as well as harassment from foreign poachers.
Bayate said that there are interventions coming from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to secure the livelihood of fisherfolk from the area such as promoting resilient livelihood projects with sustainable fishing practices and strengthening the capacity of the fishing community.
Stratbase ADR Institute President Dindo Manchit, meanwhile, urged the government to implement a stronger maritime defense to ensure the protection of the West Philippine Sea’s biodiversity.
According to the Pulse Asia survey conducted late last year, 53 percent of the Filipinos believed that the security and protection of the country’s marine biodiversity is the most important reason to strengthen the ability to defend the Philippine seas.
Manhit also mentioned that the 2016 arbitral ruling revealed that China’s land reclamation and construction of artificial islands caused “irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem” and permanently destroyed the evidence of the natural conditions of various reefs.
“These unlawful practices are being carried out until the present and continue to cause severe damage to the marine life and ecosystems that make the West Philippine Sea a critical fishing area for the country’s food and economic security,” Manhit said.
Bayate said that there are 375,190 recorded fisherfolk from the 11 coastal provinces along the West Philippine Sea.