“I would like to remind everyone that the sea gives us our livelihood and food. We need to take care of it.”
Fisherman Ruperto Aleroza, head of the group Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan, made this appeal to his fellow fishermen in light of efforts to fully implement the Vessel Monitoring Measure (VMM) system which would keep track of commercial fishing vessels, among other objectives.
Aleroza had joined the group Oceana in appealing for full enforcement of the VMM.
The appeal came in the wake of an order by Solicitor General Jose Calida to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), which were among agencies tasked with implementing VMM, to comply with a court decision voiding Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 266, the legal document which is now basis of VMM enforcement.
FAO No. 266 was signed by Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Oct. 12, 2020 to list down rules and regulations in the implementation of the VMM and installment of Electronic Reporting System (ERS) in commercial fishing vessels operating in the Philippines.
Read more:
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1556517/vessel-monitoring-key-to-the-fight-vs-plunder-of-ph-seas