AND I thought all the while that the problem about fish deficiency and high cost of fish in Bohol is caused primarily by the local “fish cartel.”
Dili diay.
Ang problema diay kay daghan sa mga mayor ang dili interesado nga masulbad ang problema sa isda.
Consider the following.
* * *
There was a meeting called for the purpose of discussing possible solutions to the problem that has been bugging the province for many provincial administrations now.
Sa mga mayor nga gipadad-an sa notice sa meeting, 6 ra ka buok ang mitungha.
Some mayors have offered reasons for not attending, the others simply did not attend, no reason or alibi at all.
We can excuse of course the mayors in the interior towns, but the coastal mayors, ngano kaha nga wala man motungha?
* * *
Out-sourcing the fish from other provinces is not economically feasible.
I learned that sourcing the fish from Zamboanga would entail a transport cost of 27K per refrigerated truck on the route, Zamboanga, to Negros Oriental to Cebu and finally to Bohol. Add that expense to the landed cost and the price of fish would become un-friendly to fish consumers in the province. Mosaka gyod ang presyo.
That, plus the time involved in travel from source to destination, plus the quality of road network traversed, and the fish loses its attractiveness upon arrival in Bohol. Normally, fish buyers would refuse to buy un-attractive and wilted fishes. Lugi ang negosyante nga nagdala sa isda from Zamboanga ug segurado nga motagam kay dili na man mahalin ang isda. Or kon paliton man gani, ubos sab kaayo ang presyo.
Since out-sourcing from other provinces is not economically-feasible, in-sourcing is the key.
But how can we in-source when only very few coastal mayors are braved enough to address the problem?
* * *
I heard that there is a contest of sort among the mayors in the province – on who can present the first ordinance, amended or otherwise, about fully utilizing the municipal waters to solve the fish shortage?
Due to time constraints, and lack of resources to gather actual data, I don’t have any idea if an ordinance of that sort has already been submitted to the Office of the Governor.
If my reckoning is correct, the “contest” started about 3 or 4 weeks ago. So, dako-dako na gyod ang time nga milabay aron lang makapalabang og ordinansiya mahitungod ana. Naturally, that kind of ordinance should not take long time because no less than the mayor can certify as to its urgency.
Pero, mora’g wala pa may gi-announce nga LGU nga naka-una og submit.
Kon wala pay naka-submit hangtod karon, unsa kahay hinungdan nga nalangan man?
* * *
I have already discussed in past episodes the usual alibis of the mayor in not supporting the proposal to fully utilize the municipal waters to address the fish shortage such as – makulban og kaldero ang mga mangingisda and madaot ang marine resources within the municipal waters.
Similarly, I have already discussed the reasons why the alibis of the mayors won’t stick.
As to the “makulban” thing, the fishermen can still fish within the 10-kilometer area, basically, the area that is their exclusive domain kay sila ra gyod ang tugotan nga mangisda dihang dapita. Ang mga commercial fishers adto lang mangisda within the area from 10 kilometers up to 15 kilometers from the shoreline.
Unsaon pagseguro nga buhaton nila kini – pakuyogan og mga fish marshalls ang mga commercial fishers aron pagseguro nga gawas na sa 10 kilometers ang ilang panagat.
As to the “madaot ang marine resources” thing, again, the presence of the fish marshalls would ensure compliance to the marine regulations contained in the municipal ordinance. Kadto rang paagi sa panagat nga gitugot sa ordinansa ang tugotan, dili mahimo nga gamiton kadtong paagi nga illegal.
* * *
The passage of the aspired or desired municipal ordinance would also ensure compliance to the following – observance of the open and close season for fishing, only the required size of fish is allowed to be caught (small fishes should be returned to the sea) and buntis or spawning fishes should also be returned.
Again, the presence of the fish marshalls would ensure that these specific regulations are strictly observed.
* * *
Indeed, all these proposals are doable, sayon ra and dili lisod.
Pangutana – nganong maglisod man ang mga mayor paghimo niini?
Ngano kaha?
