VARIOUS FORMS OF ILLEGAL FISHING

Dynamite fishing, which started with explosives left over from World War II and gained momentum by the 1960s; Muro-ami (from Japan). Fish are chased into nets by pounding on coral with rocks. Cyanide, introduced during the 1970s for the aquarium fish trade. Aquarium fish are no longer collected in this region, but cyanide remained. Small-mesh nets. Worldwide marketing of newly developed nylon nets brought smallmesh beach seines and other small-mesh nets to the region in the 1970s.

Dynamite, cyanide, muro-ami, and small-mesh nets are more effective than traditional Filipino fishing methods, but they are seriously detrimental to the sustainability of the fishery. Not only do they make overfishing and immature fish harvesting easier, they also damage fishing habitat. These fishing methods have been illegal since regulations were imposed in the early 1980s. The Philippine Coast Guard and National Police are responsible for enforcing fishing regulations, but their vast areas of jurisdiction have made it virtually impossible for these agencies to stop destructive fishing.

PROHIBITATION OF EXPORTATION OF BANGUS FRY

Malacanang PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 704 REVISING AND CONSOLIDATING ALL LAWS AND DECREES AFFECTING FISHING AND FISHERIES

SEC. 18. Permit for importation or exportation of fish or fishery/aquatic products. - No person shall import or export any fish or fishery/aquatic product, whether adult or young, fry or fish eggs, for propagation or for other purposes, without first securing a permit therefor and paying the inspection and other fees: Provided, That exportation of fry, except "Bangus" fry exportation of which is totally banned, shall be allowed only after the requirements of the domestic fishing industry are met: Provided, Further, That no other inspection fee shall be imposed and collected by any other government office or agency. SEC. 36. Ban on exportation of bangus fry. - It shall be unlawful for any person to export "bangus" fry.

PENALTIES/PROHIBITIONS Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person, association or corporation to export bangus fry to any foreign country from the date of the approval of this Act. Sec. 2. Any violation of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand pesos nor more than five thousand pesos or by an imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both, at the discretion of the court. In case the violation is committed by an association or corporation, imprisonment when imposed shall be served by the manager thereof and or any other person responsible for said violation. Sec. 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. Approved: June 21, 1963

 COMMERCIAL TRAWLS AND PURSE SEINES Fishing trawler

A fishing trawler is a commercial fishing vessel designed to operate fishing trawls. Trawling is a method of fishing that involves actively pulling a trawl through the water behind one or more trawlers. Trawls are fishing nets that are dragged along the bottom of the sea or in midwater at a specified depth. A trawler may also operate two or more trawl nets simultaneously (double-rig and multi-rig). There are many variants of trawling gear. They vary according to local traditions, bottom conditions, and how large and powerful the trawling boats are. A trawling boat can be a small open boat with only 30 hp or a large factory ship with 10,000 hp. Trawl variants include beam trawls, large-opening midwater trawls, and large bottom trawls, such as "rock hoppers" that are rigged with heavy rubber wheels that let the net crawl over rocky bottom.

Purse seining This is the general name given to the method of encircling a school of fish with a large wall of net. The net is then drawn together underneath the fish (pursed) so that they are completely surrounded. It is one of the most aggressive methods of fishing and aims to capture large, dense shoals of mobile fish such as tuna, mackerel and herring. Purse seining for yellowfin tuna in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, specifically dolphin-fishing, where dolphins are deliberately encircled to trap the tuna swimming below them, is probably the most widely reported example of marine mammal by-catch.

ESTABLISH FISH REFUGES AND SANCTUARIES

Malacanang PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 704 REVISING AND CONSOLIDATING ALL LAWS AND DECREES AFFECTING FISHING AND FISHERIES
SEC. 32. Fish refuges and sanctuaries. - Upon the recommendation of the Director, the Secretary may set aside and establish fish refuges and sanctuaries to be administered in the manner to be prescribed by him.

All streams, ponds and waters within game refuges, bird sanctuaries, national parks, botanical gardens, communal forests and communal pastures are hereby declared fish refuges and sanctuaries.

CLOSED SEASONS

A closed season is a hunting term used to describe the time of the year during which hunting an animal of a given species is contrary to law. Typically, closed seasons are designed to protect a species when they are most vulnerable or, sometimes, to protect them during their breeding season.

Are closed fishing seasons an effective means of increasing reproductive output?

Abstract Closed fishing seasons are sometimes imposed during the breeding period of harvested species in the belief that this will achieve greater annual reproductive output, but no studies have modelled the validity of this. We specifically tested this by simulating reproductive output and yield when closed seasons are imposed at different times of the year, using the limpet Cymbula granatina as a base case for a per-recruit model because (a) the reproduction of individuals that are not harvested is not disturbed by the act of harvesting and (b) the individuals do not aggregate to reproduce, an act that would make them more prone to capture. Model outputs showed that implementation of a closed fishing season during the breeding period does not increase the reproductive output of the population and has only marginal effects on yield if total annual fishing effort remains unchanged. This outcome is, however, dependent on the particular characteristics of the species, particularly whether the species is prone to disturbance or aggregates to breed. When the model was tuned to simulate species that are disturbed by fishing or do become vulnerable to fishing because they aggregate to breed, the reproductive output and yield were substantially increased by the imposition of a closed season during the breeding period. Thus, closure of fishing during the breeding period is effective only for species that conform to either of these conditions, or as a means of reducing annual fishing mortality. The frequent application of closed seasons to species that are not disturbed by harvesting and do not aggregate to breed is therefore generally invalid, despite wide belief that it will improve reproductive success

CORAL REEFS

10 Easy Steps to Help Protect Coral Reefs

Do you want to make a difference every day? Want to learn about simple, effective actions you can take to help save coral reefs and the fish, animals, and plants that depend on them? You've come to the right place! 1. Conserve water: The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater will pollute our oceans. 2. Help reduce pollution: Walk, bike or ride the bus. Fossil fuel emissions from cars and industry raise lead to ocean warming which causes mass-bleaching of corals and can lead to widespread destruction of reefs. 3. Use only ecological or organic fertilizers: Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products flow into the water system, pollute the ocean, and can harm coral reefs and marine life.

4. Dispose of your trash properly: Don't leave unwanted fishing lines or nets in the water or on the beach. Any kind of litter pollutes the water and can harm the reef and the fish. 5. Support reef-friendly businesses: Ask the fishing, boating, hotel, aquarium, dive or snorkeling operators how they protect the reef. Be sure they care for the living reef ecosystem and ask if the organization responsible is part of a coral reef ecosystem management effort. 6. Plant a tree: Trees reduce runoff into the oceans. You will also contribute to reversing the warming of our planet and the rising temperatures of our oceans. 7. Practice safe and responsible diving and snorkeling: Do not touch the reef or anchor your boat on the reef. Contact with the coral will damage the delicate coral animals, and anchoring on the reef can kill it, so look for sandy bottom or use moorings if available. 8. Volunteer for a coral reef cleanup: You don't live near a coral reef? Then do what many people do with their vacation: visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the Earth. 9. Contact your government representatives: Demand they take action to protect coral reefs, stop sewage pollution of our oceans, expand marine protected areas and take steps to reverse global warming. 10. Spread the word: Remember your own excitement at learning how important the planet's coral reefs are to us and the intricate global ecosystem. Share this excitement and encourage others to get involved.

There are many different ways that anyone can do to help protect coral reefs. First, you could simply learn about coral reefs. Learning about them will help people know how fragile they are, and how important they are to the world. You could also support an organization to help prevent coral reef damage. Another way to help is to not use any chemical enhanced pesticides or fertilizers because they are harmful to the coral. Even if you dont live near a coral reef, the chemicals could still end up in a waterway that leads to the ocean. You might even want to volunteer for a reef cleanup. Again, you dont have to live close to a coral reef to do this. Possibly you could help clean them up on your next vacation to the beach. Make sure that you only buy marine fish and other reef organisms that you know have been collected in a safe way. You could ask the store manager where the organism was collected and how they were collected. Another cool way to protect them is to try to help at your local zoo or aquarium. Also if you ever dive never touch the coral or leave debris behind. Recycling also helps keep trash out of the coral reef environment. You might also want to consider conserving water because the less wasted water there is the less in the ocean. Help protect the coral reefs by reporting any illegal waste dumping or other activities. Finally remember to stay informed and to spread the word because with every little thing that you do to help is saving one reef at a time.