The municipality of Cortes, which lies on the eastern border of Surigao del Sur, is a quaint coastal community with a population of about 16,000. Straddling the Pacific Ocean on the east, fishing is one of the major and common sources of living for its residents.

Up to the 1990s, it was known that Cortesanons were oblivious to the value and the rich resources in their waters, leading to its exploitation and abuse for years.

The local government started to institute protective measures and interventions but they proved futile because of the jaded perspective of the residents. Ordinances were rendered useless as violators just paid the fines and continued with their illegal activities.

Illegal fishing became a norm, resulting in a significant decrease in fish catch and continuous dwindling of sea resources. As fish catch became scarce, fisherfolk found it hard to find enough money to feed their families.

In 2013, the newly-elected local chief executives showed strong political will to regain the glory of the town’s once-prolific fishing ground. Guided by Mayor William Angos, residents and local officials began strategizing new measures and modified the old policies. This time, they resolved to treat environmental conservation as a social problem instead of an environmental hitch.

Not wanting to earn the ire of fishery stakeholders, they conducted public consultations and launched comprehensive and intensive reform programs that always included the small and marginal fishers.

At the onset, the local executives focused on managing the people rather than the resources. Their game plan was to involve the stakeholders, including small fisherfolk, by empowering them as co-managers of the coastal treasures.

With this new approach, efforts were focused not merely on conservation but on social awareness and reformations.

The local government executed a holistic approach giving teeth to enforcement, institutionalizing services, and ensuring socio-economic returns.

As such, arrests of illegal fishers and confiscation of unauthorized gears were made; orderly and efficient registration process of fishers and boats were accomplished; and stakeholders were assured that they will gain something from the initiatives.

In time, various marine species started to thrive anew in the coastal areas of Cortes.

In 2014, a significant increase in the number of arrest was seen followed by a decrease in violations in the succeeding year. The record of violations was even lower in 2016 as a result of an increase in community compliance.

This year, four years after their attempt to revive the local fishing sector, no less than President Rodrigo R. Duterte handed over to Mayor Angos and members of the local government of Cortes a fiber-glass fish-shaped trophy for winning the Grand Prize in the first ever Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK*) Search of the Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The award symbolizes the country’s recognition of the local government’s noble intentions and efforts in transforming the Cortes waters into a fertile livelihood and food source. Besting 52 coastal cities and municipalities, Cortes also received a P20-million fisheries livelihood fund.

More important than the recognition and the award, the residents of the little Surigao del Sur municipality are made happy by the reinstated glory of their fishing grounds.

Now, fisherfolk in the town need not resort to illegal activities as a varied species of fish, including Bangkawan, Kitong, Langub or Talakitok, Gangis and Tanigue, now abound in the municipal waters.

And now that they know better, Cortesanons will never take for granted what is given to them. Thanks to the unyielding efforts of the town’s leaders and residents, their fishery resources would be giving them endless blessings, thus binding their community stronger. ### (Adora D. Rodriguez/DA-AFID)

* The MMK was launched on October 2016 and will run every year. It is an incentive strategy which seeks to mobilize coastal communities to take actions to protect their fishing grounds. Ultimately, it seeks to attain sustainability in the fishing industry, regain the country’s status as a major producer of various marine and aqua products, and supply the fish requirements of the country.

** Photo from GOOGLE Image: Langub or Talakitok, now thrives the waters of Cortes, thanks to the combined efforts of the local government and the renewed Cortesanons.