The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Dumaguete City is implementing the safety security and environmental numbering system for all sea crafts in its area of responsibility in Negros Oriental and in the province of Siquijor.
Dumaguete station commander Lt. Junior Grade Donna Liza Ramacho disclosed Wednesday that she recently met with a group of fisherfolk in the city to apprise them of memorandum circular No. 2017001 coming from the Department of Transportation in collaboration with the City Agriculturist’s Office headed by William Ablong.
The numbering system for all water crafts of fishermen in the city will make it easy to determine fishermen who are not from this place and is given free of charge provided they comply with requirements.
This is also in line with efforts to monitor illegal fishing activities within Tanon Strait, LTJG Ramacho pointed out.
With the numbering system, fishermen from Cebu cannot just intrude in the seawaters of the city, and vice versa to be fair to everybody.
Painting of serial numbers with the letters DGT as the prefix in the fishing boats of the federation of fisherfolk in Dumaguete have started with a certification, similar to taxis and tricycles.
DGT will indicate that the fishing boats are from Dumaguete City and is for easy identification in case of emergencies.
Ramacho, however, stressed it would be better if a local ordinance is crafted for this purpose.
This developed as the fisherfolk in the northern part of the province, Bindoy, Ayungon, Tayasan, and Manjuyod (BATMAN) are also implementing a color coding system in their boats for easy identification, for safety and security reasons.
According to the report, fishing boats in Tayasan are painted with yellow colors, green with white for Bindoy and the like.
Meanwhile, the provincial fishery office disclosed that out of 92 commercial fishing vessels, 30 are still operating illegally, unreported and unregistered (IUU) while more than a hundred are still in the process of acquiring permits. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)