FILE PHOTO: A group of fishermen from Subic town in Zambales province prepares their provisions for a trip to Panatag Shoal, a rich fishing ground in the West Philippine Sea that is being claimed by China. ALLAN MACATUNO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� An organization assisting peasants is opposing the imposition of lower tariff on imported fish, noting that this could lead to higher fish import volume which could threaten the livelihood of local fishermen.
鈥淪a taripa, dagdag na problema 鈥榶an, kumbaga kung ikumpara mo 鈥榶ung nangyari nung mga angal ng magsasaka sa pag-angkat ng bigas. Hindi lamang 鈥榶ung taripa, 鈥榶ung volume, 鈥榶ung kung gaano karami,鈥� Edicio Dela Torre, president of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) said in a statement.
(On tariff, that is an additional problem, it鈥檚 the same as what happened when the farmers complained about the importation of rice. It鈥檚 not just the tariff, it鈥檚 also the volume.)
鈥淏akit doble ang inaangkat, na lampas-lampas sa mismong datos ng gobyernong kailangan?鈥� he added.
(Why is the volume of imports double, that is way beyond the actual data of government requirement?)
Dela Torre then pointed out the major problem of local fisherfolk:聽 the overfishing of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) while local fishermen catch fewer fish.
鈥淎ng problema humihina na ang huli. Ang isda naman hindi naman nagre-rcognize 鈥榶an ng boundary. 鈥楶ag nahuli ang marami ng malalaking Chinese vessels, humihina na rin ang makukuha [ng mga mangingisda] sa ating municipal waters,鈥� he said.
(The problem is fish catch has been dwindling. Fishes cannot recognize a boundary. When many fish are caught by large Chinese vessels, fish catch also declines in our municipal waters.)
While Filipino fishermen are not prohibited from fishing in the WPS, Chinese commercial fishing boats have been 鈥渇ishing aggressively鈥� there and have been harassing local fishers, according to Dela Torre.
鈥淢alaki naman ang West Philippine Sea na tumingkad na lamang dahil nga sa kilos ng China na hinaharass ang mga mangingisda sa bandang Zambales coast. Ang West Philippine Sea, meron din sa Palawan, pero dito sa Zambales talaga naging dramatic 鈥榶an eh,鈥� Dela Torre said.
(The West Philippine Sea is big, but has become more prominent because of China鈥檚 act of harassment on Filipino fishermen along the Zambales coast. The West Philippine Sea includes Palawan, but here in Zambales is where it really became dramatic.)
鈥淎ng mas mabigat, nauubos 鈥榶ung mga isda. Grabe mag-fishing ang Chinese commercial fishing boats,鈥� he added.
(The hardest part is that the fish stock is being depleted. Chinese commercial fishing boats fish too much.)
Dela Torre then called for the establishment of a new agency addressing the issues of Filipino fishermen 鈥� the Department of Fishery, adding that the government should actively protect local fishermen.
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