Fourteenth Congress of the Republic) of the Philippines

FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) x OF THE PHILIPPINES Second Regular Session ~~ - Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago RESOLUTION DIRECTING TI-IE PROPER SENATE COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT AN XQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE URGENCY OF REVIVING THE AILING MUSSEL INDUSTRY IN THE SAMAR PROVINCE WHEREAS, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), there is a need to focus on a massive clean-up campaign in Jiabong, Samar, among other localities; WHEREAS, the mussel culture will be temporarily stopped in 1,000 hectares of foreshore area to give way to the clean-up drive; WHEREAS, Jiabong’s mussel output decreased by 90%; white tide appears because phosphate and nitrites are still in the seabed which caused another mussel kill; WHEREAS, a mussel kill was reported in November last year at the two-hectare techno demo farm established by the government; the first mussel kill, which was reported in May to June last year, forced most mussel farms in Jiabong to stop operating; WHEREAS, the mussel kill was traced to pollution caused by the stake method of mussel culture, or the use of bamboo poles to attract mussel spats; another possible cause of the mussel kill was the waste from the upland area and households which must have contributed to the formation of the coastal dead zone in the bay; WHEREAS, the bamboo poles have worsened siltation in the area and caused poor water circulation leading to an increase in nitrogenous waste deposits; WHEREAS, farmed mussels continuously exposed to hypoxic conditions become stressed because of critically low levels of oxygen and are susceptible to secondary microbial infections which may result in mass mortalities; WHEREAS, even the newly established marine agriculture zone was affected; the pollution is worse as a result of more than 30 years of unsustainable mussel farming activities; WHEREAS, in order to limit the use of bamboo poles, the fishermen have since started using the raft hanging method but the area has remained polluted; WHEREAS, the mussel kill caused losses of P38 million and the significant decline in harvest has affected at least 137 registered farmers in the top mussel-producing municipality. WHEREAS, a rehabilitation project was launched last year but only 65 of 1,000 hectares have been cleared of rotting bamboo poles by divers; WHEREAS, the BFAR is responsible for 70% of the rehabilitation activities, while the remaining 30% is shouldered by the local government; at least P250,OOO has been spent to restore the 65 hectares; WHEREAS, the mussel kill has significant economic repercussions on the mussel industry since Jiabong town is a major supplier of mussels for the country’s markets; it also serves as a central trading center for mussels that are shipped to Metro Manila, Davao City, Bicol, Cebu City and other parts of the country; WHEREAS, aside from Jiabong town, other mussel-producing areas in the Maqueda Bay area in Samar are Villareal, Motiong, Tarangnan and Talalora; mussel ltills have also been reported in these areas due to coastal dead zones, characterized by the lack of oxygen in the water; WHEREAS, the mussel industry supports 651 households as well as traders, processors, bamboo splitters and transport operators in Samar; WHEREAS, considering the impact of the decline in the mussel industry on the economy of these localities, it is imperative for the national government and the local units to implement various initiatives to address this looming problem; WHEREFORE, be it hereby resolved by the Philippine Senate, to direct the proper Senate Committee, to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation, on the urgency of reviving the mussel industry in the Samar province. /dpm 2 .

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