Senator Cynthia Villar has expressed concern over the apparent decreasing fish stocks through the years in the face of various challenges, including wide-scale illegal fishing and ocean pollution from the indiscriminate dumping of plastics.
Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, noted that from 70 percent wild catch and 30 percent aquaculture, fish stocks are now sourced 50 percent from the wild and 50 percent from aquaculture and by 2022 it will 70 percent aquaculture, 30 percent wild catch and by 2050 it will 100 percent aquaculture.
“This is why we are protecting the ocean against pollution, plastic pollution and illegal fishing. We are promoting aquaculture so that prediction will not happen.”
To address this, the seasoned legislator said she will continue to promote inland aquaculture, which is increasingly being taught in farm schools nowadays.
“The prediction by UN FAO is by 2050, baka maging zero na ang ocean produce at puro aquaculture na lang. (The prediction by UN FAO is that by 2050, we may have zero ocean produce and just pure aquaculture) Kaya inaalagaan natin ang ating karagatan against pollution, especially plastic pollution, at illegal fishing, at saka pino-promote din natin ang aquaculture para hindi naman mangyari ang prediction na iyon,” (This is why we are protecting the ocean against pollution, plastic pollution and illegal fishing. We are promoting aquaculture so that prediction will not happen) the veteran lawmaker said.
