Lawmaker calls out Maritime Authority for mistreatment of fishermen

Senator Francis Tolentino has called out the Maritime Industry Authority over its policy of confiscating the catch of fishermen who failed to secure a fishing permit.

At the Senate hearing on the proposed creation of a Special Panel on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, Tolentino slammed the Marina's apparent "difficult regulations."

It was also revealed during the hearing that Filipino fishermen who fail to comply with Marina's certification requirements suffer the penalty of confiscation of their fish harvest.

"Kawawa naman iyong mga mangingisda, kukunin lahat pati banyera dahil walang certificate," Tolentino said, upon learning about this policy from Michael An, one of the 11 fishermen who survived the collision of their fishing boat with a tanker last October 2 off Pangasinan.

According to An, fishermen are having a hard time registering their ships because of the inaccessibility of the Marina office, which is located in Manila.

Hence, Tolentino urged Marina officials to reach out and make their services more accessible to fisherfolks.

"We're now importing fish. But then, you make it difficult for fishermen to ply their trade," he said.

"The root of all of these is the difficulty of securing a permit because you have no satellite offices. Our fishermen are pitiful," Tolentino added.

In response, Marina Enforcement Service Officer, Atty. Benedicto Manlapaz denied the existence of such a confiscation policy but vowed it would look into the veracity of the matter.

"We are not condoning any of these things, especially to our fishermen," Manlapaz said.

Tolentino, meanwhile, urged the fishermen to file a formal complaint regarding similar instances to the Senate Maritime Zones Committee "for appropriate action."

The Marina likewise expressed its commitment to work closely with fisherfolks to address such concerns.