BAR TODAY || Official Quarterly Publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research

Stakeholders propose strategies to prevent another Bolinao tragedy
by Thea Kristina M. Pabuayon

January-March 2002
Volume 4 No. 1

Still reeling from the tragic fish kill event that hit Bolinao, Pangasinan last February, the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) together with the Marine Science Institute (MSI) of UP Diliman sponsored the National Forum on Fish Kill Events that gathered at least 135 members of the academe, government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector for the drafting and formulation of a national strategy to monitor, manage and prevent other fish kill events in the country.

As part of the forum, speakers from MSI, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFRA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Health (DOH), and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) presented various papers relating to other fish kill events in the Philippines, fish diseases, management of coastal aquaculture activities, and local government laws pertaining to the use of coastal resources.

Short, medium and long-term recommendations to address fish kill events in mariculture areas were made by the participants.

Quick response is needed
According to the members of the academe and research institutions, there is a need to establish a mechanism that allows government and other agencies to quickly respond to fish kill reports. To do this, there should be a fish kill 'hotline' directly linked to BFAR for anyone to report emergency fish kill situations in any part of the country. Second, is the establishment of a multi-agency Fish Kill Task Force, and a fish kill contingency plan that will, likewise, be headed by BFAR. The plan will be developed at the local, regional and national levels and should include the direct involvement and commitment of institutions regarding the operational requirement such as funding and personnel.

Likewise, an integral part of the quick response mechanism is the establishment of an effective monitoring and surveillance system that will include environmental monitoring facilities, periodic aerial photography of mariculture sites, and a database of fish kill events. This could be funded from a monitoring fund that will be taken from the Task Force members, LGUs and other external sources.

Aside from the quick response mechanism, the academe cited specific policies that need to be reviewed to prevent other fish kill occurrences. They cited the banning of the importation of new mariculture species, and the regulation of chemical use as examples. According to them, there is weak enforcement of these mariculture laws and ordinances. The government needs to realize that new species may introduce new diseases or harmful algae to our local waters, or that chemicals currently being used by fish farmers should be regulated to prevent the predominance of certain organisms over others.

Accountability and compliance is key
A Coastal Development Plan has been made and a number of municipal fisheries ordinances has already been enacted, but the public is clearly unaware or completely ignore them.

For the government agencies and local government units, putting more teeth in implementing existing laws can save what is left of our mariculture resources.

For this, they proposed a two-stage licensing system for mariculture activities in order to provide check and balance. Under this proposed system, operators need to obtain a license to operate which is to be approved by the municipal mayor, and a license approving the appropriateness of the site which is determined by DENR or BFAR.

To insure the accountability of persons violating existing laws, LGUs will review and further strengthen existing sanctions and monitoring mechanisms.

Empowerment and education
It is often said that if you give man fish, you will nourish him for a day, but if you teach man how to fish, you will nourish him for the rest of his life. Both the literal and the figurative meaning of this adage can be applied to the tragic fish kill event in Bolinao, Pangasinan.

Reflecting on these words, one can draw the conclusion that it is only with proper education that we can truly break free from our degenerative mariculture practices that are not only harmful to the environment, but more importantly, can greatly affect the future of fishers themselves.

For the private sector and the non-government organizations, fishers and stakeholders must be aware of and apply only the proper technologies and practices in mariculture. These include the regular screening and testing of food products before they are adopted, application of feed standards, and proper feed management.

Likewise, a comprehensive national framework on sustainable aquaculture must be put in place. These would entail roundtable discussions among all mariculture players, including the academe, the government and the private sector.

Lastly, with education comes constant re-education. As another adage holds, "years of misguided teaching have resulted in the destruction of the best in our society, in our cultures and in the environment." With the rapidly changing environment and economic policies of the country, regular forums on mariculture must be conducted for the benefit of all stakeholders.