December 7 ------ Canada had deployed to the Philippines a patrol aircraft belonging to its fisheries’ department and spotted dozens of potentially illegal fishing activities in high seas east of the country. Sean Wheeler, chief of International Enforcement of Conservation and Protection of Canada’s Fisheries and Oceans Department presented Ottawa’s findings as it led a 72-hour aerial patrol over Philippine waters with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in a span of two weeks.
During the operation called Bantay Lawud (Sea Guardian), about 88 potential violations were detected, including 50 committed in the high seas. Activities included fishing by domestic vessels in enclosed areas, fishing with unregistered or unmarked vessels as well as use of prohibited gears. They have been tagged as potential violations as they are still subject to investigation by the government. “The prominent illegal gear that the operation sighted is what we call “hulbot-hulbot,” said Roy Ortega, of BFAR’s Fisheries Resource Management. “So this is rather destructive fishing method in such that it has a heavily weighted scarelines, and when dropped at the bottom, it really does the damage on our corals and seabed,” Ortega added.
Wheeler in a press conference said Canada conducted the patrol east of the Philippines—from Batanes to Bicol Region and from Bicol to Sarangani— because it does not traditionally get surveillance from authorities. Canada deployed its Dash-8 aerial surveillance aircraft that is equipped with detecting dark vessels—or vessels that turn off their monitoring system to avoid detection of their illegal activities—and can fly as high as 20,000 ft. altitude.
The aircraft, which was parked in Manila on Monday for viewing of BFAR, also has high-definition cameras that can capture or record activities at sea. Captured images and footages of illegal activities during the operation were already relayed to the Philippine government for appropriate action. Canadian Ambassador to Manila David Hartman said the operation is part of Canada and the Philippines’ joint effort to address Illegal unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.
Canada also proved to the Philippines its dark vessels detection program, which can help the latter fight maritime threats. “These challenges can be addressed by continuous engagements with friends and partners’ joint efforts, such as Bantay Lawud, as a testament to what we can achieve when we work together to protect our oceans,” Hartman said.
Source: mb.com.ph
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