Fisheries cmte to tackle Oro comprehensive fishery ordinance

The committee on agriculture, fisheries, and aquatic resources of Councilor Juancho “Antuy” Pascual will take up the proposed Comprehensive Coastal and Fishery Resources Management Ordinance of the city, on Wednesday, November 12, at 02:00 in the afternoon.

The measure, principally authored by Pascual himself, seeks to provide a clear framework for the sustainable management, utilization, and protection of the fishery and aquatic resources within the municipal waters of Cagayan de Oro.

Section 3 of the said legislation provides that that fisherfolk organizations be treated as active stakeholders, not mere beneficiaries, and that marginal fisherfolk enjoy preferential rights in the use of coastal and fishery resources.

It also mandates collaboration with neighboring municipalities under the Macajalar Bay Development Alliance (MBDA) for ecosystem-based resource management, allowing reciprocal access to registered fisherfolk under specific conditions.

Zoning provisions divide the city’s municipal waters into conservation and rehabilitation zones, productivity and mariculture enterprise zones, and docking areas, while marine protected areas are formally declared in the coastal barangays of Bonbon, Bayabas, Gusa, Cugman, and Puerto.

Within these zones, specific rules will govern activities such as fishing, mangrove rehabilitation, and marine research, including the establishment of management bodies headed by barangay officials.

The ordinance also introduces a system for permits, licenses, and registry of fishing boats, along with penalties for violations such as unauthorized fishing, failure to carry permits, or the use of illegal gear.

Funding for the ordinance’s implementation will be sourced from the City Agriculture Productivity Office’s budget, with a technical working group to be created by the mayor for the drafting of its implementing rules and regulations. (FDC/SP)