OVER SEAS -- The Online Magazine for Sustainable Seas

Northwest Bohol

The CRMP learning areas covers five core learning areas municipalities of Northwest Bohol, a contiguous area facing Cebu. The Project has expanded sideways to secondary core municipalities in Loon and Jetafe, producing a straight seven municipality block, which all have pretty similar issues but are all various stages of CRM development, with Tubigon and Calape leading the way and the others at various other stages. Other areas including Dimiao, Candijay and Mabini are worked in on a much more technical demand driven' criteria. There are many issues within the learning areas and these range from the usual cocktail of illegal fishing methods to others such as illegal fishpond construction, etc.

Local communities have initiated some very good efforts. Several fish sanctuaries have been established. Also, Jetafe has Asia's largest man-made mangrove reforestation (Banacon island). The LGUs are not too far behind. They have promulgated a number of appropriate laws which only need good implementation and a few implementing rules and regulations. With the Calape Bay tri-partite working committee leading the way in multi-sectoral planning and implementation of CRM, it is hoped that these initiatives can be built upon by the CRMP and hopefully with some well planned and executed facilitation get CRM onto the agenda of all the local LGUs with full support of the fisherfolk.

Calape to set up new fish sanctuary
A new fish sanctuary is being planned in Tantudlan, Cabilao, a diving area. The project is being spearheaded by a people's organization called Nagmata (Nagpahiusa Gamay Mananagat sa Tantudlan, which means "United Small Fishers of Tantudlan"). "They've been wanting to do this for about a year now," notes CRMP Provincial Coordinator for Bohol Stuart Green. The sanctuary is expected to become operational in May.

Meanwhile, the municipal government of Calape, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources signed last January 15 a memorandum of agreement defining the roles of the different groups involved in coastal resource management in Calape. Related to this, the DENR and the Municipal Planning and Development Council (MPDC) prepared a zoning plan for the municipal waters of Calape. The plan will be submitted to the community for consultation.

In Loon, the Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council was organized and held their first meeting last February 19. The meeting focused on introducing the coastal resource management concept to the FARMC members, who agreed to consider drafting a zoning plan for Loon's municipal waters.
Finally, in Inabanga, Provincial Coordinator Green reports a significant drop in the number of illegal fishing incidents. This is the result of stricter law enforcement following the deputation of a full contingent of fishery wardens in the area. "Well over 20 arrests were recorded during the last month alone," said Green. §