Understanding how successful MPAs survive, I congratulate those behind Jojo Dela Victoria Demonstration Marine Reserve (JVDMR) for this achievement.
I have read that you face death threats there as well. We at Dive Hub face the same challenges, and it is good you have a very good lawyer like Atty. Oposa backing you up. In Siaton, we have commercial fishing boats illegally fishing very close to shore, robbing the non-motorized fishermen of what is supposed to be reserved by law for their fishing ground.
What is worse is that when we report such violations to the police hotline number, it would only say “please report this to the DA”. Now the DA does not even reply. The DA used to tell us to report to the Phil. Navy, and the Phil. Navy can only tell us they have no boat (among other things).
Maintaining and managing a marine protected area is very expensive and exhausting. I hope more and more people would open their minds to realize that it is everyone’s duty to conserve what is left of our marine resource.
And I thank God for Dr. Alcala for all that he is. I have not known anyone so famous yet so easy to reach when we plead for help.
Gena Dayon
Andulay, Siaton
