Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol today/January 18 said the government will crack down on illegal fishing and seek administrative punishment for local executives who fail to curb the illegal practice in their communities.

At the same time, President Rodrigo Duterte will reward the most outstanding coastal communities with cash of up to P20 million for livelihood programs and other projects to promote and protect the fishing industry, Secretay Piñol said.

Piñol, in a briefing with the Malacanang Press Corps in Malacanang, said President Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture to give mayors and barangay chairpersons in coastal communities all over the country six months, or until June this year, to stop illegal fishing and to clean up coastal waters within their communities.

“The President has made it clear that just like the campaign against drugs and criminality, the campaign against illegal fishing will also be very, very strict,” Pinol said.

“In fact, in the last Cabinet meeting, he announced that mayors and barangay chairmen of towns and villages where illegal fishing is prevalent will be (publicly) identified later on,” he said.

 “We are giving them six months, until June,” Piñol stressed. “After that (or after June 2017), the Department of Agriculture will file administrative charges against mayors and barangay chairmen who could not stop illegal fishing in their communities.”

“This is part of our advocacy to protect our fishing industry,” Piñol added.

 He said the most outstanding coastal communities will get a Presidential Award called Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) on February 1 in awarding ceremonies in Malacanang.

 The top regional contenders will each receive cash rewards that they can use for livelihood and other income generating projects for their communities.

 The winner will get P20 million, the second placer P8 million and the third placer P5 million. Regional winners will get P2 million each. (DA-OSEC)