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Agriculture officials will embark on a three-day expedition to Benhram Rise on May 5 to 7 to explore the 13-million hectare continental shelf for its protection. This was announced by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol yesterday.
Piñol said President Duterte has given him the go-signal to push through with the journey that was initially scheduled for the Holy Week. It was postponed due to a low pressure area that was spotted in the eastern part of the country.
“Go ahead and discover what could be done to protect the area,” Piñol quoted President Duterte saying during a meeting in Malacañang Wednesday night.
The expedition will focus on research of the resource-rich waters of Benham Rise. It is seen to sustain the country’s needs if properly protected and managed, Piñol said in a statement.
The voyage will be participated in by officials from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) onboard the Research Vessel MV DA-BFAR and will be accompanied by at least four more smaller DA-BFAR vessels.
About a dozen “Pagbabago” fiberglass fishing boats manned by Filipino fishermen will also be joining the expedition who will sail from Infanta, Quezon on May 5.
Accredited divers’ and environmental groups who wish to join the expedition can coordinate with the DA-BFAR.
Piñol said they will drop anchor at the shallowest part of Benham Rise where members of the expedition and the fishermen will set up fish sheds.
Mainly coral formations with the shallow portion estimated to be 50-meter deep, the Benham Rise, or Philippine Rise, was declared by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as part of the Philippine Continental Shelf.
There are reports that the area contains rich deposits of oil and gas but proposals to conduct energy explorations in the area have been opposed by environmentalists.
SOURCE: Manila Bulletin
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