Launching of Fisheries Refugia in La Union Province

Specific areas in the City of San Fernando and the municipalities of Bacnotan, San Juan, Aringay, and San Juan are identified will be designated as fisheries refugia. These areas will serve as sanctuaries for fish stocks, providing crucial habitats for breeding, feeding, and refuge. BFAR representative Ms. Felymar Ragutero said that “𝘈𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘨𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘱𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘬𝘴𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴”. (The fisheries refugia is for our fisherfolk because it seeks to protect and sustain the production of our fishery commodities for our coastal communities' food security and livelihood.)

The idea of creating Fisheries Refugia, as outlined by Mr. Noel C. Barut, the Chief of Party for USAID INSPIRE, is based on scientific principles that acknowledge the interdependence of marine ecosystems and the urgent necessity to preserve biodiversity for ecological resilience. “𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘨𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪-𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵. 𝘋𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘒𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵, 𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘱 𝘱𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘯”. (The fish refugia concept is the management of our resources and, at the same time, integrates habitat management. Habitat and fisheries must be managed at the same time. If the habitat is damaged, the fish look for another place with almost the same situation as where they live.) By protecting important marine habitats and allowing fish populations to recover, Fisheries Refugia can promote sustainable fisheries management. He also said that "there is a need to ensure resource sustainability for future generations and the livelihood of communities dependent on the resource".

Key stakeholders, including the Provincial Government of La Union, Local Government Units of La Union, the Academe, civil society organizations, fishing communities, and the Local Implementation Team (LIT) of the INSPIRE project, attended the Fisheries Refugia Launching.

In addition to launching the Fisheries Refugia, the Provincial Government of La Union recognized Marine Protected Area (MPA) management through the Linak ken DaLUyon: The Province of La Union MPA Awards.

Winners of the Communications, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) activities, What DO You Sea Photo Contest and Sayaw Para sa Karagatan were also awarded during the event.

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The Launching of the Fisheries Refugia and the Communications, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) campaign are activities of the "Strengthening Good Governance and Multi-stakeholder Collaboration in FMA 6, Coastal and Marine Areas of the West Philippine Sea” implemented by the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc. under the INSPIRE Project.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁

Investing in Sustainability and Partnership for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) is a five-year grant facility of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that aims to improve natural resource resilience and security through the increased participation and engagement of civil society organizations (CSOs), media, academe, and local communities. It envisions to expand civil society participation and influence in natural resource governance for greater accountability and better results and complementation of local conservation and climate change mitigation actions. The Gerry Roxas Foundation (GRF) is the lead implementing partner for INSPIRE.