HEADLINE-MANILA | Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR): Fish production from West Philippine Sea-WPS dropping
Philippine Navy personnel wave flags as they welcome the arrival yesterday of the Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang in Manila./ Ernie Peñaredondo
PAG-ASA ISLAND, Philippines — Fisheries production in the West Philippine Sea has dropped by seven percent between 2021 and 2022 despite being one of the richest fishing grounds in the archipelago, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed yesterday.In an interview here, BFAR spokesman Nazario Briguera said that based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, production was down to 275,872 metric tons of fish in 2022, from 295,332 MT in the previous year.
“When we say total production in the West Philippine Sea, we are not just talking about Pag-asa Island, we are referring to the total production of provinces fronting the West Philippine Sea,” Briguera said.
Memento Maxima Digital MarketingBut the BFAR official was quick to clarify that the decrease in production can be attributed to the typhoons that hindered fishermen from setting out to sea in 2022 and not the maritime territorial conflict in the area.
Still, the difference of 19,460 MT is significant, considering that the output from the West Philippine Sea represents 6.36 percent of the country’s total fisheries production in 2022.
Fisheries production from this part of the archipelago covers both the municipal and commercial fisheries sectors of Regions 1 (Ilocos), 3 (Central Luzon), 4-A (Calabarzon), 4-B (Mimaropa) and the National Capital Region. Data from the BFAR also indicate that as of last Jan. 23, there are at least 373,733 fisherfolk that depend on the West Philippine Sea.
“The drop in the fisheries production can be attributed to many factors, including the frequent visit of typhoons in the country. If this happens, the number of fishing days for our fishers decreases also,” Briguera said. For now, more than P4 million in assistance was delivered to two fisherfolk associations on this island to boost the fish catch of their more than 80 fisherfolk members.
“The P4-million fishers’ livelihood inputs include motorized boats, basic post-harvest equipment like freezer, ice cooler, ice cube equipment and rain catchers,” Briguera said, noting that the assistance includes training for the fishermen.
“We will also provide fish handling techniques to our fisherfolk so that they can preserve the value of their catch so that when they reach the market, the quality is still high,” he added.
The 30-hour voyage of the BRP Francisco Dagohoy to this island to deliver the assistance and conduct the BFAR training coincided with the Philippines’ celebration of its 125th Independence Day anniversary on June 12. Vessels sighted
Before reaching this island Tuesday night, the BRP Dagohoy sighted at least eight foreign vessels, including a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship.
Lieutenant Commander Mark Adrias, commander of the BRP Dagohoy, said the eight foreign vessels sighted were outside Philippine waters. “There are sightings (of foreign vessels) but they are far from our planned course,” he said. “Considering the weather, the other foreign vessels decided to secure themselves because of the rough sea condition,” said Adrias.
Adrias said their crew received no radio challenge from the CCG ship or any other vessel throughout their journey on rough seas. “We did not notice other military foreign vessels tailing or shadowing us,” he added.
But a source told The STAR that a Chinese fishing vessel was monitored in the radar tailing the BRP Dagohoy.
“It was not an ordinary fishing vessel as it approached us at very fast speed, but [it] ultimately stopped following us at 2 a.m.,” the source said.
Yesterday, Adrias said the CCG ship appeared to move nearer the BRP Dagohoy while Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and BFAR personnel were busy unloading equipment for Pag-asa fisherfolk.
Adrias said encounters with the CCG were common when passing through disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea. “Usually, when we are passing, the Chinese Coast Guard, especially in areas they occupy, shadow us, or there are radio challenges.” Paga-asa islanders experience the same incidents when fishing near Chinese-occupied areas. “The Chinese Coast Guard calls their attention when crossing the 12 nautical miles they set,” said Adrias.
He said the PCG has no recorded incidents of harassment of fisherfolk in the vicinity of this island recently.
“The Coast Guard, the BFAR vessel, the Navy have regular patrols in the area, our feedback is the fishers venturing in the area are OK as there were no cases of harassment,” he said.
Adrias also gave assurance that the PCG has not been letting up on its duty to capture any video footage of such incidents, if any, for the filing of necessary diplomatic cases against violators.
“The filing of diplomatic protest is continuous,” Adrias said. “If we cease from filing diplomatic protest, it would show the presence of Chinese Coast Guard is OK, that is why the filing of diplomatic protest is continuous.”
But the BRP Francisco Dagohoy commander did not elaborate further, saying he could not recall the last incident of harassment against Filipino fisherfolk.?The civilian ship will be on its way back to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan today.
China ship visit
Meanwhile, the largest naval training ship of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China, Qi Jiguang (Hull 83), arrived in Manila for a four-day goodwill port call that started yesterday.
Qi Jiguang, the first PLA-Navy ship to visit Manila since 2019, is docked at Pier 15 of the Manila South Harbor. The ship is in the country until June 17.
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian welcomed the officers and crew of the ship, led by Major General Su Yinsheng. “It’s a goodwill visit,” Huang said.
Officials of the Chinese embassy, representatives of Chinese businesses and students, overseas Chinese were also at Pier 15 with the Philippine hosts, led by Commodore Carlo Lagasca of the Philippine Naval Littoral Combat Force and other Philippine Navy officers and sailors.
The Chinese PLAN ship’s crew disembarked as music was being played by the Philippine naval band. The Filipino-Chinese community also had a lion dance performed.
During their stay in Manila, the Chinese naval officers and cadets will visit a Philippine naval ship and conduct joint PASSEX among other professional exchanges before they take part in a friendship sports match with their Philippine counterparts.
The Qi Jiguang training ship will also host open-day activities including a deck reception.
The embassy said the ship’s four-day regional tour aims to “spread peace and friendship, deepen mutual trust and exchange.”?“This is a Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Naval training ship for a goodwill port visit to Manila. It has paid visit to Vietnam, Thailand and Brunei before the Philippines,” the embassy said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila said the public can board the Qi Jiguang at Pier 15 until June 16. Visitors are required to bring a valid identification document.
“A steady step in China-Philippines defense cooperation, the visit is following the tradition of exchanges between the two militaries in addition to implementing the important consensus between the heads-of-state of China and the Philippines,” the embassy said.
Named after a national hero of the Chinese Ming Dynasty, the ship was commissioned in February 2017 as the largest and most modernized Chinese homegrown professional training ship with the highest tonnage.
The ship is 163 meters long and 22 meters wide. It has a full displacement of more than 9,000 tons and a maximum speed of 22 knots. It can meet the requirements of 12 winds.
It can guarantee more than 400 naval students or officers and men to complete near and far-sea internship tasks such as navigation business, ship navigation and manipulation and common ship subjects.
At the end of its trip, Qi Jiguang and its crew of 476 navy students and officers would have passed through the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and West Pacific. – Pia Lee-Brago
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