Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan on Friday said he has banned commercial fishing in the territorial waters of the province within the Sulu Sea in favour of the small fishermen.
“People here are already complaining (against commercial fishing,” Tan said in a radio interview.
“Una, hindi sila makalapit diyan sa mga malalaking fishing company vessels at nauubos din iyong isda namin. Hindi nakakakuha iyong maliliit na mangingisda,” he added.
The governor said some big vessels were scaring away small fishermen from the area.
Tan said the Sulu government does not benefit from the operations of commercial fishing vessels.
He also pointed out that the canning factories of the big fishing vessels were located in Zamboanga areas so they pay their taxes and other fees there.
He added there were some 30 companies with around 100 fishing vessels operating in the Sulu Sea.
The Sulu governor denied allegations that he banned commercial fishing because some fishing companies stopped buying fuel products from him due to supposed overpricing.
“Matagal na ako sa negosyo ng fuel pero hindi naman iyon…Hindi ko po sila pinipilit. Ngayon ang dami ng may utang, hindi ko nga nasisingil e,” he said.
(I have been in the fuel business for a long time but that was not the reason. I am not forcing them. Now, they have a lot of debt to me, but I am not asking them to pay.)
“Hindi po. In fact, iyong isang kompanya diyan text nang text gustong bumili, hindi ko naman na pinagbibili,” he added.