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July 2008

governments the role of managing 

fisheries resources within 15 km 

from the coast, and the Department 

of Agriculture’s (DA) Bureau of 

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 

(BFAR) the role of managing fisheries 

resources in territorial waters 

beyond the 15-km boundary.  In 

addition to DA Administrative 

Orders, local governments also pass 

local laws regulating fishing gears, 

harvestable species, fishing areas, 

and imposing fees and penalties. 

These local laws tend to be based 

upon model ordinances or developed 

in response to adverse experiences. 

They frequently require further 

consideration of implementation 

issues, in terms of stakeholder 

consensus, preventive strategies, 

resources required vis-à-vis resources 

generated, and violations proven in 

judicial proceedings (Luna, 2007).

Illegal activities reported within the 

three marine biodiversity corridors 

include the use of dynamite, cyanide, 

fine-mesh nets, and other forms of 

destructive fishing; capture and trade 

of endangered and protected marine 

species including corals, sea turtles, 

dugong, whale sharks, manta rays, 

dolphins and whales; and operation 

of commercial-scale fishing boats 

within 15 km of the shore, legally 

reserved for small-scale fishers, or 

within protected areas.

Some of the specific activities and 

issues in the four marine biodiversity  

corridors are outlined below.

a. Verde Island Passage 

An enforcement crusade by local 

governments and Bantay Dagat 

volunteers (“bantay dagat” is a 

Filipino term to denote “sea watch”) 

in the Verde Island Passage supported 

by the World Wide Fund for Nature 

(WWF-Philippines) from 2000 to 2003 

and by Conservation International-

Philippines from 2006 to 2008 may 

have reduced the incidence of 

destructive fishing and commercial 

fishing intrusion in municipal waters 

(Table 1).  

The Bantay Dagat initiative began 

in the municipalities of Mabini and 

Tingloy in 2000 and expanded to 

San Luis and Calatagan in 2001.  

The Bantay Dagat Network was 

established in June 2002 and was 

joined by Nasugbu and Balayan 

municipalities by the end of the 

year. The network included 174 

Bantay Dagat volunteers in the six 

municipalities by 2003, supported by 

a lawyer to help in the filing of cases.  

Fish catch monitoring suggested an 

increase in catch per unit effort of 

longlines with multiple hooks (kaskas, 

September 1999-2000 vs. September 

2001-2002; and hayhay, September 

1999-February 2000 vs. September 

2001-February 2002) over the first 

two years of the crusade (Enderez, 

2004).  

The Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape project 

supported information campaigns, 

strengthened capabilities of Bantay 

Dagat volunteers, and helped to 

expand the Bantay Dagat Network 

to other municipalities.  The project 

also conceptualized a draft Verde 

Island Passage Marine Biodiversity 

Conservation Corridor Enforcement 

Strategy in 2007.  

Table 1. Number of apprehensions for coastal-related violations in Batangas (from 

Gutierrez (2007) for 2000-2003 data, Trono and Gutierrez (2007) for 2006-

2007 data, and from PEMSEA survey for Bantay Dagat members in 2008).

Year

Municipalities 

in Batangas 

Province

Number 

of Bantay 

Dagat 

members

Apprehensions

Average/year

Violators

Cases 

fi led

Violators

Cases 

fi led

2000-2003

Mabini, Tingloy, 

Calatagan, 

Nasugbu, 

Balayan,  and 

San Luis

174 in 2003

625 

fi shers

70

130

18

April 2006-

February 

2007

Mabini, Tingloy, 

Calatagan, 

Nasugbu, 

Balayan,  and 

Lobo

131 in 2008

79 

fi shers;

9 divers

14

88

14

To date, capacity-building activities 

included deputation trainings 

in coordination with BFAR, additional 

paralegal trainings, Bantay Dagat 

team building and Advance Fishery 

Law Enforcement Training, which  

covered map reading, GPS use, water 

survival techniques, and proper 

search and boarding procedures. 

An additional 59 volunteers were 

deputized as Fish Wardens by the 

BFAR, while 36 existing Bantay Dagat 

volunteers from nine (9) network 

member organizations attended the 

Advance Fishery Law Enforcement 

Training.

The Verde Passage 

Enforcement Strategy 

The enforcement of coastal and 

marine environmental laws requires: 

(a) support of key stakeholders; (b) the 

development and implementation of 

information campaigns; (c) enhanced 

organizational capacities for local 

initiatives; and (d) increased patrolling 

and enforcement eff orts. 

The Verde Passage Enforcement 

Strategy was designed to support the 

institutionalization of the Bantay Dagat 

group, considered the participatory 

approach to coastal law enforcement 

in the Philippines. The fi rst step 

undertaken for its institutionalization 

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