Iloilo City is currently hosting a four-day East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress which seeks to further strengthen the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia. The goal is the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, seas, and oceans. The congress is significant most especially to Iloilo province which is battling a problem on illegal fishing. Some quarters may find this concern picayune compared to illegal drugs. They’re missing the bigger picture. The campaign against illegal fishing is more than just protecting our rich fishing grounds from poachers from other areas. It is being waged to ensure adequate supply of fish for all of us in a sustainable manner. It ensures food sufficiency. Declining fish population and fish catch push hunger deeper most especially in coastal communities.

Conserving our seas. (2018, November 28). Panay News, p. 12.