Small fisher folk leaders from many coastal towns and cities of Negros Occidental brought their concerns to Governor Eugenio Lacson in a dialog at the Provincial Capitol last week. The leaders who belong to the newly-organized Panay-Negros-Guimaras Crab Fishers Alliance (PANEG-CA) and the Negros Occidental Small Fishers Alliance (NOFSFA) called on the governor to address the continued illegal fishing on local waters, poverty, the lack of livelihood for coastal communities, the need for protection and development of the blue swimming crabs (BSC) industry, the intrusion of illegal marine and black sand mining in coastal areas, lack of participation in local governance especially in fisheries and aquatic resource management councils (FARMCs), and the dire effects of climatic changes in coastal areas.

Negros small fisher folk bring concerns to guv. (2023, December 5). SunStar Bacolod, p. 3.