Stronger law enforcement are needed to achieve sustainable fisheries and seafood self-sufficiency in the Philippines, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources National Director Eduardo Gongona said. Relatedly, the Angono, Rizal chapter of the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Tuesday lamented that dumping waste and the landfill in the Angono part of Laguna de Bay are still ongoing even after dialogue with the Laguna Lake Development Authority and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “We have to maintain and protect our traditional fishing grounds. If we properly enforce our fisheries law, then we will have enough fish. We need action, and we need to do it now,” Gongona said. Lax enforcement resulted in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, he said. Oceana Philippines vice president Atty. Gloria Ramos noted that at present, 56 percent of Filipinos’ animal protein comes from fish and 93 percent of fish caught in the country are consumed domestically.

Gonzales, A. L. E., & Araneta, S. ( 2016, October 13). Enforce fisheries laws—BFAR. Manila Standard, p. C2.