ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines – The governors of provinces surrounding the Visayan Sea are reiterating their commitment to continue protecting said body of water’s rich resources by eradicating illegal and destructive means of fishing in their respective provinces.

During the 4th Governor's Meeting on the Visayan Sea Protection and Coastal Law Enforcement Program held at the Hotel Del Rio in this city last Friday, the governors of Cebu, Masbate, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental vowed to continue waging war against illegal fishing to ensure the protection of the Visayan Sea, seen as having one of the richest marine biodiversities in the world.

In attendance during the one-day summit were Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Masbate Governor Rizalina Lanete, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., along with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Asis Perez and Environmentalist lawyer Antonio Oposa.

All four governors admitted that going against illegal fishing is not an easy task especially since illegal fishers are playing a cat-and-mouse game with law enforcers in their respective provinces. They said. However, that they are optimistic about seeing a highly-protected Visayan Sea soon.

“This is not an ordinary fight. We are up against greed and when greed rules the heart of men, they can be formidable enemies. It takes courage to dream and even greater courage to do something about that dream,” said Garcia.

The Cebu governor has already launched an all-out war against illegal fishing in Cebu province, forming, in the process, a special task force going against illegal fishers, buyers of illegally caught fishes, and sellers of these fishes.

She said that the presence of the four governors in the summit only showed how committed they are in protecting the Visayan Sea against “enemies that are trying to destroy the rich marine resources of the sea that connects our four provinces.”

Garcia pointed out, “Through our action, we can show our sincere advocacy to protect the Visayan Sea that we all share and that connects our four provinces. Our presence show our commitment to this continued battle.”

For her part, Lanete said fisherfolks in Masbate have long been suffering from the effects of illegal fishing in the province and she vowed to eradicate or at least minimize illegal fishing activities in the Masbate side of the Visayan Sea.

“Fisherfolks, who own the seas, are left with no choice anymore. This summit is a real welcome move to us Masbateños,” said Lanete, who admitted that it will be the first time that her province will take an active role in protecting the Visayan Sea.

During the meeting, host governor Defensor moved that a resolution calling for the total ban of “hulbot-hulbot” in the Visayan Sea area. But this was deferred when other governors asked to discuss the matter separately.

The four governors, in a previous meeting, already signed a covenant to protect, conserve and rehabilitate the coastal and marine resources of the Visayas Marine Triangle for the benefit of future generations.

Visayan Sea Project convenor lawyer Antonio Oposa expressed his admiration for what the governors have been doing particularly in Cebu with Garcia’s all-out-war against illegal fishing when she created aforesaid task force.