The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Tuesday appealed to coastal local government units to take a more proactive approach in managing municipal waters in compliance with fishery laws and policies.

This comes after five LGUs emerged as top performers in the Fisheries Compliance Audit for their effective management of their municipal waters in compliance with fishery laws and policies.

DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. named this year's FishCA awardees as Tanza, Cavite which bagged first place, Naic, Cavite which followed second, Sasmuan, Pampanga in third place, Balanga City, Bataan in fourth place and Macabebe, Pampanga in fifth place.

The FishCA is being implemented by the DILG with the help of other agencies and non-government organizations to assess and monitor the compliance of all coastal LGUs in the Manila Bay Watershed Area to Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code.

It covers 32 LGUs in the National Capital Region, Region III and Region IV-A.

While the number of LGUs with passing compliance rate increased, Abalos urged low to moderately compliant LGUs to replicate the best practices of the top-performing coastal LGUs for sustained livelihood and food security in communities.

The DILG chief said that LGUs were assessed based on several key indicator areas such as existence of basic municipal/city fisheries ordinance and coastal resource management plan and implementing instrument; functional post-harvest facilities like fish landing sites, fish ports, ice plants, and cold storage; registry of municipal fisherfolk and municipal fishing vessel and gears; creation of municipal/city fisheries and aquatic resources management council; deputation of fishery law enforcement officers/fish wardens; and existing collaboration on coastal resource management.