DUMAGUETE CITY (PNA) — Dumaguete City Vice Mayor William Ablong lashed out at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for blaming local government units (LGUs) for the encroachment of big fishing vessels on the Tañon Strait.
He stressed that LGUs are mandated to manage their coastal areas covering the 15-kilometer radius from the shoreline, but BFAR should also monitor the operations of these vessels.
During the recent celebration of Fish Conservation Week, BFAR Region 7 officials lamented the encroachment of at least 184 fishing vessels on the protective seascape of Tañon Strait.
However, Ablong pointed out that there should not be finger pointing but a collaborative undertaking between BFAR and the LGUs.
Meanwhile, Bais City Mayor Hector Villanueva said Bantay Dagat personnel in his area are on regular patrol to prevent large fishing vessels from encroaching on municipal waters and the teams recently arrested some fishing vessels and their crews.
