Fishermen in Palawan have condemned the entry of illegal Vietnamese poachers in the West Philippine Sea, saying they are using cyanide and dynamite in their fishing activities.
Hundreds of members of the Kalayaan Palawan Farmers and Fisherfolk Association (KPFFA) said in a statement released to the media that the illegal fishing methods used by the Vietnamese are exacerbating the poverty and financial distress they are currently struggling with due to low fish production and the geopolitical tension with China.
The group of fishermen are questioning why the national government has not been acting on this particular complaint against Vietnamese poachers.
While the government of Vietnam, one of the Philippines’ friendly partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has officially taken the position against illegal fishing, particularly the use of dynamite and poisonous chemicals that destroy the environment, it has been ineffective in fighting illegal fishing.
The KPFFA pointed out that in 2022, around 104 Vietnamese fishing vessels and 919 Vietnamese fisherfolk were detained by Coast Guards of neighboring countries for various fishing violations outside of their territory.
They cited that the Department of National Defense (DND) earlier tagged the Vietnamese as among those apprehended by the military and the Philippine Coast Guard for poaching in Philippine waters off Palawan, starting in 2018.
The government recorded some 46,694 incidents that year, and 40,135 foreign vessels including those with Vietnamese flags have been challenged by the authorities. The Palawan fishermen are wondering why the government has been heard of on the issue since then.
The KPFFA noted that in 2017, the European Commission (EC) issued a “yellow card” as warning to Vietnam for not cooperating with other nations in the campaign against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The European Commission called out Vietnam for its lack of an effective system of punishment or sanctions against those involved in IUU fishing. The EC also added that the government of Vietnam has been lax in monitoring the illegal activities of fishing vessels and crew operating in waters outside of its maritime jurisdiction, and even using globally banned methods of destructive fishing.
Critics have also pointed out that Vietnam has a poor system of fishing centers where marine products are processed prior to exporting them to the international markets, including the countries in the European Union.
The association of Kalayaan Palawan fisherfolk said:
“Ang dynamite fishing ay isang paraan ng pangingisda kung saan ang mga pampasabog ay itinatapon sa tubig upang patayin ang maraming isda nang mabilis at mura. Habang sumasabog ang mga bomba, nagpapadala sila ng mga shock wave sa tubig na nagpapatigil o pumatay sa mga isda at pumutok sa kanilang mga swim bladder, isang espesyal na organ na bony fish na ginagamit upang kontrolin ang kanilang buoyancy. Ang mga apektadong isda ay lumutang sa ibabaw o lumubog sa ilalim kung saan madali silang makolekta.
“Kilala ang dynamite fishing bilang isa sa mga pangunahing sanhi ng pagkasira ng coral reef dahil ito ay lubhang nakakapinsala sa mga bahura at mga organismo na umaasa sa kanila. Ang ilan sa mga mangingisdang Pilipino ay hinahabol o binabalaan ang mga ilegal na mangingisdang Vietnamese ngunit dahil sinira na ng Vietnamese ang ang natural na ekosistema at pisikal na anyo ng mga coral reef sa paligid ng isla, kaya malaki ang inihina ng industriya ng pangingisda.”
This weekend, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is in Vietnam for a state visit, and the Palawan fisherfolk expect that he will take up this problem with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
PHOTOCAPTION: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leaves for a state visit to Vietnam on January 29-30, 2024 with food security, agricultural cooperation, trade, and important regional and international issues high on the agenda.
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