Local stakeholders called for the monitoring of illegal and commercial fishing in the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape (TSPS), known as the largest marine protected area in the Philippines, located between Cebu and Negros.
“Tañon Strait is one of the top marine biodiversity hotspots in the country. A strong monitoring mechanism is necessary to ensure that our marine wealth is protected against illegal commercial and destructive fishing,” said lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos, vice president for Oceana Philippines.
Ramos pointed out that despite the area’s protected status, overfishing, unregulated coastal “developments,” and pollution, among other challenges, persist, which impair fish habitats and adversely affect the livelihoods of artisanal fisherfolk.