SEASID: Study on Enforcement of Amended Fisheries Law Specific at Verde Island Passage: Input to Improvement and Development of Policy Alternatives

Abstract

This study was designed to understand the enforcement of amended Fisheries Law Specific at Verde Island Passage(VIP). The study described the situation in the VIP and the efforts to solve the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in VIP Batangas Marine Key Biodiversity Areas (MKBAs) toward formulation of policy alternatives. Data were gathered through interviews among stakeholders. The data went through two-level coding and were further analyzed. The amended Fisheries Law were analyzed by its performance with stakeholders as participants. Results showed that issues on amended Fisheries Law enforcement in VIP MKBAs are associated in the enforcement associated with the use of force; enforcement will always involve conflict; enforcement always involves risk; and enforcement is often costly and complex. In fact, it also reveals that the weak implementation roots from the local governance who is influenced by politics. The two policy alternatives identified were: 1) Pursuance of Policy on Deployment of Permanent Maritime Police Enforcers in the Verde Island Passage Marine Key Biodiversity Areas to report to Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as the lead enforcer of RA 10654; and 2) Pursuance of Policy on the Establishment of Social Enterprises as Alternative Livelihood for Fisherfolk in the Verde Island Passage Marine Key Biodiversity Areas. Based on the developed criteria levels of risk and uncertainty, the two policy alternatives were evaluated in an aim to solve the continuous increase illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in VIP MKBAs. Between the two alternatives, “Policy on Deployment of Permanent Maritime Police Enforcers in the Verde Island Passage Marine Key Biodiversity Areas to report to Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as the lead enforcer of RA 10654” generated the greater percentage.