TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Northeastern Luzon District has intensified its campaign efforts against poaching within the maritime territories of the Cagayan Valley Region. 

Captain Ludovico D. Librilla, Jr., district commander of the PCG, said poaching of marine resources perpetrated by foreigners remains a challenge in the bodies of water of Cagayan Valley. 

He said one of their interventions undertaken is the  setting up of additional Coast Guard substations in coastal and island municipalities. 

“As of now we already have 20 substations guarding our maritime zones, mostly situated in the coastal municipalities, and in the Calayan group of Islands and Batanes province,” he said. 

He also stated that there will be an additional three substations to be established soon in Ballesteros, Cagayan; in Dalupiri Island, which is adjacent to Calayan mainland; and in Dinapigue, a coastal town in Isabela.

Librilla also said they already augmented their troop deployment in Mavulis Island in the northernmost part of Batanes. 

He also said they are now modernizing their floating assets and increasing their workforce to safeguard the region’s maritime resources as well as to respond during emergencies and calamities.

“Aside from the rescue boats and other floating assets that we have, there will be one sea-going vessel to be deployed in our area, which we will be utilizing when we do patrol and whenever there are sightings of illegal activities in our areas of responsibility,” Librilla said. 

The PCG, he added, is coordinating with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other partner agencies which deputized the PCG as its designated law enforcer.

“Previously, poachers usually enter our area of responsibility during the summer but now they seem to have changed their style. I believe they enter our maritime zones when we experience bad weather conditions because their vessels can withstand rough waves. With this, we need to change our strategies,” he said.

On the other hand, Lieutenant Ren Marie Tagao-Morales, legal officer, said they will also conduct massive information and education drives in the coastal communities to capacitate the fisherfolk and other sectors on maritime laws. 

“We will also capacitate them to participate in our goal to safeguard our resources. They should be part of our campaign,” Tagao-Morales said. 

The Coast Guard officials were recent guests in the Philippine Information Agency's Tipon-Tipan sa PIA program which is aired live every Tuesday from 9 am to 10 am on PIA Region 2's Facebook page and streamed live by some local media outlets. (OTB/PIA Region 2)