Farmers turn to fishing in wake of farms’ destruction

By Delfin Mallari Jr.
Inquirer

LUCENA CITY—With their farms devastated by successive typhoons, displaced farmers are now turning to the sea for livelihood.
Glenn Forbes, coastal and marine program officer of environmentalist group Tanggol Kalikasan, said the trend among farmers in the coastal towns of Quezon and Marinduque provinces is to once more paddle their way back to Tayabas Bay.
“Most of the farmers in the coastal towns of Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon province and Marinduque are also fishermen. Temporarily shifting back to full-time fishing to earn a living would not be difficult for them. They still remember the basics (of fishing),” Forbes told the Inquirer.
He urged the government to extend support to the displaced farmers-turned-fishermen by providing them with basic fishing equipment.
“The concerned government agencies can form a cooperative and provide it with fishing boats and fishing paraphernalia for the use of the typhoon victims,” Forbes said.
Typhoon “Reming” has battered the island province of Marinduque with more than 40,000 families displaced while widespread crop destruction and damage to fishing boats has disrupted the livelihood of most islanders.
Dependence
The coastal towns of Mulanay, San Narciso, San Andres and San Francisco took the brunt of three successive typhoons that destroyed most farms in the area.
“But with the help of concerned government agencies and private sector, the typhoon victims are now slowly recovering from the tragedy. Most of them only need basic fishing equipment to survive. They can’t forever depend on others,” Forbes said.
The environmentalist group asked government authorities to conduct sustained anti-illegal fishing operations in Tayabas Bay, particularly against big-time commercial fishing vessels.
He said despite the efforts of volunteer fish wardens, environmentalist groups, policemen and local government officials to stop illegal commercial fishing in Tayabas Bay, the multi-sectoral groups could not catch up with the fast and modern fishing vessels.
Ignored law
“Our motorized outrigger boat is no match (against the) commercial fishing vessels,” Forbes said.
Republic Act No. 8550, or the Fisheries Code of 1998, prohibits commercial fishing vessels from operating within 15 kilometers of municipal waters.
But this has been often ignored by commercial fishers who continue to operate with impunity in prohibited fishing areas to the disadvantage of fishermen.
Janet Geneblazo, Tanggol Kalikasan information officer, said despite their sustained anti-illegal fishing operations in Tayabas Bay and along the highway route being used by traders of illegally caught fish, the unlawful operation continues unabated.