Pescador Island takes a step backward

I have spoken very highly about Pescador Island off Panagsama beach in Moalboal Cebu. Even very recently.

Last night, while thinking about it I remembered the bad part of my last trip. I guess I shut it out.

The local government has allowed single line fishing in Pescador. This after a long time of no take zone. On one dive I got about a handful of monofilament. I also saw a small rock tied with the same line.

I have nothing against fishing and feeding the less fortunate because that is probably the main argument for allowing it. All I know is that here in General Santos, we are working so hard to get a no take zone so that fishing in the surrounding areas will improve. I mean if the city is full they will move to the provinces, right?

It was just so sad to see it happen in Pescador, a dive site I really love. Moalboal is also a diving tourist destination. I mean there is nothing else there. If this reef goes downward, so does the whole town.

I feel they have taken a step backward. What do you think?

partridge:

I have spoken very highly about Pescador Island off Panagsama beach in Moalboal Cebu. Even very recently.

Last night, while thinking about it I remembered the bad part of my last trip. I guess I shut it out.

The local government has allowed single line fishing in Pescador. This after a long time of no take zone.

I feel they have taken a step backward. What do you think?

Click to expand...

I fully support single line fishing especially for the local residents, so called subsistence fishermen.

Like in Batangas, i firmly believe that a compromise may be reached. TIME SHARING .

THe location is time shared by fishermen and divers. at one point fishermen can use the site, after some time Scuba divers and so on ....

ALso, being recreational in nature, i firmly believe the sport should support the livelihood of them fisherfolk. We can do this by maintaining and improving the underwater environment by helping the reef rehabilitate thru artificial reefs to help those destroyed by dynamite fishing .

For their part, the local community takes care of peace and order and arrest destructive fishing practices.

Give and Take.

Pescador is used only by scuba divers, mostly foreign scuba divers. THis is a discrimination for the local community. What Moalboal SCUBA resorts and community should do is to REVIVE THE MOALBOAL SHORELINE REEF. REVIVE PROTECT THE REEF ,

if the local reef is productive, they really do not need to go to Pescador island to do single line fishing. I have personally seen reefs become productive after just 5 years of protection and a little help from scuba divers.

We will have to disagree here. It is these same fishermen who decimated the shoreline reefs in the first place. You give them an inch and they take a foot. Now that small boats have every reason to be there they will push the envelope a little bit and try to get away with it.

The fact that there are a lot of foreign divers is basically my point. They come to see a beautiful reef free from mono line and hooks. The locals have to understand that these foreign divers are supporting the whole town. If they stop coming because the reef is not that great anymore, the fishermen will still have fish but the rest of the town (hotels and restaurants) will close up.

Like I said in my first post, my idea of conservation is to provide no take zones. This breeding ground will create over stocking in the particular area and fish will have to move elsewhere. This will be outside the no take zone. This is called a buffer zone with only single line fishing. Then the next circle out will be less strict and so on.

And even though there are a lot of locals who dive there, you are right that the majority is foreign. I was there once and 2 bus loads of Japanese came for two dives.

thats the point, the feeling of the locals , as i the case almost all over the philippines, is that kawawa sila (Pity them), and they use the excuse that they are marginalized.

The truth is they really do not benefit substantially from foreign tourist , as it is only the dive operators and resorts at hat earn from the foreign tourist. It's only a small number of locals (bankeros) that benefit directly. So compare to the vast majority of the local population, only a hand few benefits.

THat's why, the needs of the subsistence fisherman need to be addressed , initially for the daily needs then show them long term . THe problem with them long term plans is that they need to eat daily, and they can't wait for the long term product. It is also useless and just brings out resentment and resistantce to tell the truth that they destroyed their own local reef. they did it to themselves , however this is not a soultion.

)

I was in Moalboal this year and the close in diving was sad by almost any standard. Everyone must live and I understand the need to fish and the use of fish traps. Pescador is the only "bright" light in the area and I hope everyone does what they can to preserve the environment.

bumped to the front while i'm looking for threads to make a case for our booth.

Interesting thread that might compliment our local reefs discussion.

Hello SB`ers. I was in Moalboal about a month ago and had a great time. I came from Dauin in Negros Orriental. When I went to Apo Island all I could remeber the dive guide saying... Clownfish City... 3 years ago there was 5X`s more fish. I was expecting to be amazed by Apo Island. The dive op...Dive Society out of El Dorado said they went to all the spots. In their in room brochures that say they went to Largahan, Coconut Pt., Olo and Mamsa Pt. I know it depends on currents and experience. Olo was closed off to local fisherman and Coconut Pt and Mamsa Pt were deemed undivable on a mid - Oct day. I was impressed by Marine sanctuary, but the second dive Chapel was just so - so. The next day I went down to the dive shop and asked where they where going...plane wreck shore dive. I decided to catch ferry from Tampi to Bato, Cebu. I then caught bus to Moalboal. I stayed at Pangasma for 5 days. I did a night dive the first day I arrived. It was just a shore dive in the center of town...Eves Kiosk...and had a great time. I thought that the site along the coast were good, Pecador excellent and Sunken Island a flag on a pole 5 knot 25 min. adrenaline rush. I did see the fisherman on Pescador and didn`t mind. The people of the P.I.`s are so poorand need to feed their families.I can`t blame them. I guess I would have some other kind of system to share with the fisherman. Giving them alternative ways to make a living. Business is brutal every where. If the owners of business`s need to maintain the marine beauty of each region. The business owners MUST take a more leadership role. I am thinking of doing a safari out of Dauin thru central Visayas to Alona Beach. I would try to implement conservation. Still ...to the local , it`s survival pure and simple. I have seen Wakatobi resort has taken the issue and made a deal with the local people. The resort produces electricity which it shares with the village. I also think they share fresh water with the village.At El Dorado...I must say they had an amazing house reef. Part natural, part man made... truck tires and artifial reefs. Very impressive. I also know in Moalboal, actually Pangasma Beach...they closed the marine sanctuary for 3 years and it was one of the best close in dives. They had a park ranger who came out and checked us out.Thats what we need to do at SB and other sanctuaries. Promote conservation BUT more importantly produce work for the local people to do. Make them intregal part of the system. I love the P.I.`s and want to help save the amazing marine life for all the world to visit. I think the most important thing the P.I`s need to resolve is over population. The natural resources are maxxed out. The Philippines being a Catholic counrty...this may be very hard. Still...sooner or later the P.I`s will have to deal with this. I have a big place in my heart for the people and life there. Kind regards Kevin

I love Moalboal. This place kept me sane when I moved to Cebu for school and did not know a soul there. Yes it is still a great dive site but has seen better days. Just the decline in the number of larger fish is obvious.'

I understand the need of fishing ground but I think they need a no take zone. That way fish stock will grow and move out to the areas where fishing is allowed. In a perfect world there would be no diving in this zone but Moalboal is heavily dependent also on its tourism that a no take zone is a good compromise.

I will try to find out if the fishing allowed is seasonal or permanent. Will dive there first week of January.

edit: Looks like I posted almost exactly the same thing a long time ago. sorry

not a problem,. just shows the inactivity of the LGU to improve the state of the sea.

partridge:

edit: Looks like I posted almost exactly the same thing a long time ago. sorry

Click to expand...

Fishing per se is not bad... God gave us fish for food. It's how the sea is being destroyed by bad fishing and poor maintenance. For me, the resort owners (do they earn a lot from the scuba diving business?) in coordination with the local government, should initiate providing other means of income to the fishermen. WIN-WIN Situation for divers and fishermen, i'm sure there is a way.