The technical group tasked to study the provisions of a memorandum of agreement for a joint seaborne patrol in southern Oriental Negros will decide tomorrow on whether or not to approve the final draft.

The draft that will lay down the mechanics and the responsibilities of the participating local government units that include Basay, Bayawan City, Sta. Catalina, and Siaton, was initially presented by Provincial Board Member Henry Pryde Teves, at the technical meeting held at the Sangguniang Bayan session hall of Siaton the previous week.

Present in the meeting were local officials of the province's four southernmost LGUs and an estimated 500 small and big-time fishermen and cobcob operators.

The proposal initially drew negative reactions from several participants who feared intrusion on their municipal waters, particularly on apprehension of violators of municipal waters ordinances.

Provincial Board Member Ruel de Gamo said, he was not sure how the seaborne patrol would reconcile with his ordinance that was recently passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

The ordinance aims to preserve the municipal waters and marine resources of Siaton and authorizes only local authorities to arrest fishermen caught fishing illegally.

Gamo said he is optimistic that conflicts will be resolved.

Teves said he conceptualized the joint seaborne patrol project for a common effort to preserve the marine resources of Basay, Sta. Catalina, Siaton, and Bayawan City through the latter's sophisticated facilities. Under the project, the fully-equipped patrol boat of Bayawan City will monitor the coastal waters from Basay to Siaton and to contact the Bantay Dagat groups of the LGUs when illegal fishing activities are sighted.*

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