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| MY Esperanza |
By: Bennie A. Recebido
DONSOL, SORSOGON, July 19 (PIA) – More than a thousand of
Sorsoganons are expected to participate in a rare but solid community action
against activities detrimental to the protection of the Bicol Seas and
sustaining Marine Ecosytem in the Bicol Region especially that of Burias-Ticao
Pass and Donsol waters, on Saturday, July 20, 2013 to be held in Donsol, Sorsogon.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia Media Assistant AC Dimatatac in a
coordination meeting with PIA Sorsogon said, the Local Government Units (LGUs)
of Sorsogon, Albay and Masbate in collaboration with Greenpeace‘s Ocean
Defender Tour Philippine Leg Bicol stop initiated the solidarity activity
dubbed as “Lakbay Para sa Kadagatan, Pasiring sa Sustenableng Pangisdaan” (Walk
for the Seas, Moving to Sustainable Fisheries).
“The solid community action will gather fisher folks, LGUs
and government agency officials, environment advocates, church leaders,
scientists, civil society and non-government organization representatives as
they call on efficient program implementation and stricter enforcement of laws
to ensure protection of the Bicol seas,” said Ms. Dimatatac.
Government officials are also invited to include Senator
Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Sorsogon 1st District Representative Evie Escudero,
Sorsogon Governor Raul R. Lee, Albay Governor Joey S. Salceda, Masbate Governor
Rizalina S. Lanete, Pilar town Mayor Dennis Sy-Reyes and Donsol Municipal Mayor
Josephine Alcantara-Cruz to render Message of Commitment.
Ms. Dimatatac also said that issues and concerns raised
during the Forum of Fisher Folks and Bantay Dagat in October last year will be
re-visited and with the commitment to be given by the government leaders and
stakeholders who will be there, hopefully certain problems will be addressed.
The activity will be highlighted with a Solidarity Walk for
the Sea where participating stakeholders will hold a unity walk from Donsol
Municipal Park and will converge in Dancalan Beach for other activities. Mass
for the Integrity of Creation and Blessing will also be offered.
Following a community program, where messages from various
officials will be delivered and testimonies of best practices will be shared, a
Fisher folk Flotilla will be held.
Said Fisher folk Flotilla will gather thousands of fisher
folks who will sail the seas of Burias-Ticao Pass and will symbolically mark
the municipal waters with their boats and declare it off-limits to commercial
fishers. More than 200 motorbancas will be joining the activity.
Media were also invited to cover the event and a press
conference will be conducted. Greenpeace and local partners are also open to a
one-on-one media interviews.
The call to save Burias-Ticao Pass from marine degradation
and overfishing and to enforce 15-km municipal waters will be plastered in a
creatively designed banner and will be signed by the newly elected officials from
the municipal, provincial, congressional and up to the senate level.
Likewise, Greenpeace’s iconic ship MY Esperanza, fresh from
its tour apprehending destructive fishing activities in Thailand and promoting
in a grand way for an oceans solution, will be in Donsol on July 20.
The visit of MY Esperanza in Burias-Ticao Pass and in waters
of Donsol is part of its contribution to the existing initiatives to protect
the said bodies of water and rid it from destruction such as illegal fishing
and overfishing. “Donsol, being one of the top tourist destinations in the
world must also be protected against marine ecosystems degradation,” said Ms.
Dimatatac.
“The presence of the ship here will help us move forward the
campaign against overfishing by highlighting the problem due to the presence of
illegal commercial fishing vessels and the need for solutions work,” she
further added.
Burias-Ticao Pass is the body of water between Sorsogon and
Masbate considered to be the Manta Bowl, while Donsol is the Whale Shark
Capital of the Philippines. They are among the areas in the world with highest
concentrations of plankton due to the strong currents from San Bernardino
Strait. These currents push large groups of plankton and other organisms to
gather in the area, making this an ideal cleaning and feeding stations for the
manta ray and whalesharks.
MY Esperanza was also in Apo Island in Dumaguete on June 9,
2013 to inspire their local communities that there is still hope for Apo Island
Marine Reserves. It can be noted that
strong typhoons have brought serious destructions to the island’s marine
sanctuary.
The community activity on Saturday will be culminated by a
Boodle Fight to symbolize that everyone present is in agreement in protecting
seas and sustaining marine ecosystem in Bicol. (BARecebido, PIA Sosogon)
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