- Reports said that nine Filipinos were arrested in the Eritrean waters for illegal fishing
- Sec. Herminio Coloma said the DFA has not received official communication about the incident yet
- An NGO official said that the Fisheries Code of 1998 is to be blamed for the plight of the fishermen
At least nine Filipinos were arrested in the South African waters last week for illegally fishing within the territorial seas of Eritrea; a report from the Philippine Star stated.
In an article written by Ding Cervantes on April 4, 2016, it was disclosed that the Eritrean Coast Guard intercepted the fishing boat manned by Filipinos who came from Saudi Arabia.
According to the report, the fishermen “unwittingly” crossed international boundaries while on a fishing journey and were not aware that they were already lying in the seas of a neighboring country.
However, Sec. Herminio Coloma, chief of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), said during a radio interview aired over dzRB that while news about the incident is already being aired on national television and published in newspapers, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has not received official communication from the Eritrean government as of the moment.
On April 2, Vice Consul Alexander Estomo of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah said that the fishermen crossed North African waters, but it has not yet been verified if they have reached East Africa and if they are currently under the custody of the Eritrean government.
Meanwhile, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said that it is very ironic that Filipinos go to other countries to conduct fishing activities.
“It is ironic that we are an archipelagic country rich in marine resources, yet Filipino fishermen are forced to go to faraway places almost beyond the reach of their own government for protection,” said Salvador France; vice chairman of Pamalakaya.
France also noted that since the Fisheries Code of 1998 was passed by Congress and signed by then president Fidel V. Ramos, the plight of Filipino fisherman has even become worse.
“It is the main culprit why fishermen remain among the poorest in the last 18 years,” he added.
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