A Necessary Stand

An unwavering political will is the only net that can save the rich marine resources of Concepcion, Iloilo and possibly other places.

The firm, decisive action of the local government unit (LGU) is a long-overdue and necessary intervention to protect the town’s marine ecosystem and the livelihood of the majority of its fisherfolk.

For years, the municipal waters of Concepcion have been the silent victims of a tradition that has morphed into a destructive enterprise. “Sinsoro,” a form of beach seine fishing, has evolved from a manual, subsistence method into a mechanized operation that is now wreaking havoc on the town’s marine life.

The shift by Sinsoro operators to targeting juvenile anchovies, locally known as lobo-lobo, using fine-meshed mosquiteronets is at the heart of the crisis. This practice is not just fishing; it is a systematic dismantling of the marine food web. Anchovies are a critical forage species, serving as a primary food source for larger, commercially valuable fish like tuna, mackerel, and scad. By harvesting them before they can mature and reproduce, Sinsoro operators are effectively stealing from the future, ensuring that there will be fewer fish to catch tomorrow.

This ecological destruction is what Municipal Administrator Jimmy Celestial calls a “silent collapse.” He lamented, “Sinsoro operations switched to the exploitation of Lobo-lobo, resulting in the use of very fine mesh nets, causing a steady decline in anchovy catch—so much so that we hardly see anchovies at our fish port and markets.”

The damage is not confined to the water column. The use of heavy mechanized gear, including purse lines and winches, indiscriminately scrapes the seabed, destroying vital breeding and spawning grounds. This is especially alarming within Concepcion’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), sanctuaries that are supposed to be havens for marine biodiversity. As Celestial noted, “It became a big issue in our island barangays, whose MPAs are being invaded and altered, leaving livelihoods severely affected.”

This brings the crisis from the abstract realm of ecological data to the very real, human level. The Sinsoro operations, run by a few, are directly undermining the livelihoods of the many small-scale municipal fishers who rely on healthy reefs and robust fish stocks to feed their families. These are the voices of the aggrieved, the fishermen from the island barangays who watch as their traditional fishing grounds are stripped bare. Their catch dwindles not by chance, but by the illegal and unsustainable actions of others.

The Sinsoro operators are not just violating the laws of nature; they are violating the laws of the land. According to the LGU, these operations lack the necessary permits from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Maritime Industry Authority. Their activities fall under the definition of illegal and destructive fishing as penalized under Republic Act 10654, which amends the Philippine Fisheries Code. The use of fine-mesh nets to catch juvenile fish is explicitly prohibited.

The LGU’s path to this point has been paved with patience and exhaustive dialogue. A July 2023 agreement provided Sinsoro operators with an 18-month moratorium to transition to sustainable practices, a deadline that expired in December 2024. BFAR extended training on alternative fishing methods. Yet, these efforts were met with defiance as operators allegedly continued their illegal activities.

Now, the time for talk is over. The LGU’s decision, formally delivered on July 15, 2025, to enforce national and local laws is not an act of aggression but one of profound responsibility.

The conditions laid out for Sinsoro to continue are not unreasonable; they are a blueprint for sustainability. Requiring operators to use gear that specifically targets mature anchovies, not lobo-lobo, and to reduce their vessel size to the 3-gross-ton limit for municipal fishing is a direct solution to the core problems. It forces a return to a version of Sinsoro that can coexist with the environment and other fishers.

While some operators may argue this is all they know, the reality is that their current methods have been declared unsustainable and illegal. The greater good—the long-term health of the marine ecosystem and the economic security of the entire fishing community—must take precedence.

Beyond the ban, the LGU and BFAR must continue to offer a pathway for compliance. Support systems, including access to capital for appropriate gear and continued technical training, are crucial for a just transition. But this support must be a reward for compliance, not a negotiation with those who refuse it.

The LGU of Concepcion has made a courageous and correct choice. It has chosen to protect the many over the few, the future over the present, and the law over its violation. This is the kind of political will that our environment desperately needs. It is an example that other coastal municipalities should not hesitate to follow. The siege on our marine life must end, and in Concepcion, the line has finally been drawn.