The Central Luzon State University (CLSU) through the College of Fisheries (CF) continuously pushes for the denunciation of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through joining and conducting series of educational programs.
According to Dr. Ravelina R. Velasco, Acting Dean of the CF, IUU fishing remains a pervasive problem in Southeast Asia, accounting for approximately a quarter of global fish production and whose fisheries sector supports tens of millions of jobs.
To address the threat of IUU fishing, “policymakers in the region and different government offices are already taking concrete action including the CLSU-CF,” she added.
As early as May 2020, the CLSU-CF have participated in the 12th International Forum on IUU Fishing, a five-day webinar organized by the Chatman House, a world-leading policy institute. While in May 2021, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) invited the CLSU-CF with selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to participate in a two-day training on the use of the Philippine IUU Fishing Index and Threat Assessment Tool.
The CLSU-CF further communicated the call against IUU fishing through the conduct of a webinar titled “Raising Awareness on Overfishing, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, and Destructive Fishing Practices” on August 25, 2021, 2:00 to 5:30 PM. Mr. Keith E. Carloy, Officer-in-Charge, Enforcement, and Regulation Monitoring Control and Surveillance Operations Center, and Mr. Ryan Ray S. Lumasac, Team Leader, Monitoring Control and Surveillance Station in Bataan, both Fishery Regulation Officers from BFAR, served as the resource speakers.
Through the webinar, the various sections of the Republic Act 10654 or an act to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU Fishing, amending RA 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, were expounded.
Around 220 participants composed of fisherfolk leaders, parents of BFAR scholars, students, alumni, and staff of local government units joined the webinar wherein most were from Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Metro Manila, Isabela, Cagayan, Zambales, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Batangas, Cavite, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Albay, Catanduanes, Oriental Mindoro and Palawan.
