MLGU, BLGU, People’s Organization, Municipal Mayor, FISH Visayas held a public hearing on municipal ordinance. The ordinance is about the conservation of major crabs in the municipality.
The hearing was held on July 14, 2021, at Pitogo Covered Court, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol. The public hearing on a Municipal Ordinance was joined by the MLGU, BLGU, People’s Organization, Municipal Mayor, and FISH Visayas (AFOS Foundation). This will regulate the catching, selling, buying, and possession of blue swimming crabs and mangrove crabs in Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol. The approved municipal ordinance was implemented through barangay assembly, installing posters, and distributing flyers for IEC.
Crabs are highly valuable to the local economy, bringing in nearly two million pesos per year and employing more than 20,000 Filipinos. They are also an extremely vulnerable commodity, with market pressures pushing the species beyond sustainable levels. According to a 1999 study, blue crabs were being caught beyond viable levels. Putting the crabs in this dangerous condition poses potential damage to the economy and local fishers.
The crab is very important to many Filipinos, and its extinction means the end of thousands of jobs and sources of income. Many species of crabs have been pressed into a dangerous situation due to intense market pressures and irresponsible fishing. With this in mind, the Municipal Ordinance was made as a response to the rampant catching of tiny crablets and collecting the gravid crabs to gain more income.
This endeavor is part of AFOS Foundation’s mission. Through FISH Visayas, it aims to boost and sustain the incomes of fishers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the fisheries and related food value chains by qualifying business membership organizations (BMO) in Central Visayas. This will provide services in certification and dual training to promote sustainable fisheries and marketing.