Philippines’ Protected Area Management Body Adopts Vessel Monitoring Requirement in the Tañon Strait to Combat Illegal Fishing - Oceana

Victory | February 20, 2017

Philippines’ Protected Area Management Body Adopts Vessel Monitoring Requirement in the Tañon Strait to Combat Illegal Fishing

Vessel monitoring, a key measure for effective law enforcement, will be required for all commercial fishing vessels entering the Tañon Strait. One of the Philippines’ largest marine protected areas, the Tañon Strait is the country’s very first protected seascape to require vessel monitoring for all transiting commercial fishing vessels. A 161-kilometer strip which connects the Visayan and Bohol Seas, the Tañon Strait lies between the islands of Cebu and Negros and hosts 63 percent of the country’s coral species, plus 14 out of the country’s 26 species of whales and dolphins. It is a rich fishing ground for artisanal fishers who live along its coast but is faced with pressures such as illegal commercial fishing, pollution and unplanned coastal development projects. Oceana campaigns for responsible fisheries management throughout the Philippines and is a key force in driving protection and better management for the Tañon Strait and other municipal waters.