Defensor previously underscored the role of aquaculture in supporting the livelihood of ordinary fishermen and stressed the importance of giving attention to the issue of illegal fishing as it might pose a threat to food security and the livelihood of the residents if not given action.
It is noted that Iloilo province has a long coastline with Southern Iloilo alone having about 65 kilometers of coastline spanning 70 coastal barangays of five municipalities, while Northern Iloilo has 14 coastal towns.
Available data from Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) also indicated that they have conducted 164 anti-illegal fishing operations this year, which is 1,161.54 percent higher compared to only 13 operations in 2022.
Meanwhile, Defensor revealed that the facility in Estancia, Iloilo is only one of the five resilience hubs or civil defense operations centers that are being funded by the provincial government. The other facilities will be situated in the towns of Carles, Concepcion, Banate and Miag-ao.
“Ang direction nga ini this is a part of our whole-province approach to disaster risk reduction and management and our environmental management programs,” he said. (AAL/JNH/PIA6 Iloilo)
