Key livelihood alternatives are being pushed in Southern Leyte’s Panaon Island to address overfishing, international marine conservation group Oceana said on Wednesday.
Through the initiatives of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)–Southern Leyte, and in close coordination with local governments, science institutions, and fisherfolk groups, a range of community-based projects is being implemented under the province’s “Blue Economy” agenda, according to Oceana.
Among the key livelihood alternatives being proposed are sea cucumber ranching, sandfish cultivation in Liloan and San Francisco, and squid processing in Pintuyan town.
“We are optimistic about the benefits that protecting Panaon Island will bring to its local communities. As fish stocks continue to dwindle and the effects of climate change and overfishing become harder to ignore, the island’s residents are being offered a new path towards sustainability: science-backed livelihood alternatives that reduce pressure on the ocean while creating new economic opportunities for communities,” Oceana vice president Von Hernandez said in a statement.
These initiatives are part of the province’s broader SPEED-SL — or Science and Technology Programs to Enhance Economic Development of Southern Leyte — strategy, which combines innovation, community empowerment, and resource sustainability.
“Panaon embracing the Blue Economy is giving science, technology and innovation the opportunity to turn our seas into sources of hope, livelihood, and lasting progress for the people of Southern Leyte,” DOST Southern Leyte provincial director Ramil Uy said.
While awaiting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s signature to enact the Panaon Island Protected Seascape (PIPS) bill, Oceana has been helping the national and local governments consult with local communities, according to Hernandez.
The PIPS bill seeks to establish a legal framework for long-term conservation while permitting sustainable use zones and community-based resource management.
When signed, the law will formalize protection measures, strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing, and institutionalize support for alternative livelihoods.
(With report from PNA)
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews