Manila: Militant fisherfolk group Pamalakaya yesterday accused three Asian countries of “ocean grabbing” in the waters off Aurora province.
The group made the allegation a day after Olivier de Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food warned governments that small fishermen, local fishing communities and sustainable fishing are threatened by ocean grabbing or long-distance, industrial-scale trawling.
Pamalakaya national chairperson Fernando Hicap scored the ocean grabbing of Japanese, Taiwanese and South Korean industrial fishing fleets in the waters of Aurora province, which are regularly monitored by small fishermen.
Hicap said the industrial fleets are seen catching first rate tuna off the waters of Aurora, which is part of Asia Pacific Ocean.
Fishermen said that huge industrial fishing fleets owned by Japanese, Taiwanese and South Korean tuna operators are periodically seen from January to July every year.
In 2008, fishermen reported seeing long-line fishing gears being used in the hauling of tuna, blue marlin and other high value fish species.
These foreign fishing vessels even entered in the 15km municipal fishing waters from the shoreline, Hicap added.
Hicap said Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese fishing vessels that frequented Baler Bay in Aurora province between January to July every year to fish for tuna was confirmed by the Philippine Coast Guard.
The Philippine star
