BALANGA CITY (PIA) -- About 70 aspiring Bantay Dagat (BD) officers in Bataan attended a two-day Fisheries Law Enforcement Training (FLET) workshop of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
 
It aims to enhance the skills and abilities of deputized and prospective fish wardens from local government units (LGUs) in implementing fishery regulations in municipal waters as one of the measures to safeguard fisheries and deal with the problems associated with illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
  
BFAR Regional Director Wilfredo Cruz noted that it is essential to establish, equip and mobilize groups to ensure efficient enforcement of coastal and fishery laws.

“The FLET workshop will improve the ability of LGUs to enforce their authority over their municipal waters and prepare potential fish wardens for their duties in ensuring adherence to fisheries laws and regulations,” he added.
 
BD is a community-based law enforcement program that engages fisherfolk in coastal villages or barangays on a volunteer basis to support the detection and enforcement of illegal fishing in coastal waters.
 
Training attendees were from the municipalities of Samal, Orion, and Mariveles. (CLJD/RPQ-PIA 3)