Coast Guard issues typhoon guidelines for fishermen

07/29/2010 | 09:19 AM

As several fishermen died after tropical cyclone “Basyang" (Conson) lashed Luzon earlier this month, the Philippine Coast Guard developed a 12-point typhoon guideline for fisherfolk.

The Coast Guard, in an advisory posted on its website, said the guidelines apply to rainy and stormy weather.

Included among the guidelines is a reminder to ensure cell phones and radios are fully charged so they can get weather updates and return to land.

Fishermen were also reminded to avoid areas with weak or no cell phone signals.

The 12 guidelines include:

1. Alamin ang lagay ng panahon bago pumalaot (Know the weather conditions before leaving shore).

2. Palaging makinig sa radyo at manood ng telebisyon ukol sa mga ulat panahon (Listen to the radio and watch television for weather reports).

3. Kung papalaot para mangisda, ugaliing magdala ng fully-charged cell phone para sa komunikasyon at transistor radio. (Before leaving shore, bring fully charged radio and cell phones for communications).

4. Huwag pumalaot sa mga lugar na walang cellphone signal kung masama ang panahon (Avoid areas without cell phone signals especially if the weather is bad).

5. Ipagbigay alam sa inyong barangay kapitan at lokal na opisyal tungkol sa inyong gagawing paglalayag at mag iwan ng contact number (Let your village captains and local officials know where you plan to go, and leave a contact number).

6. Alamin at tandaan ang mga hotline numbers ng Coast Guard, PNP, AFP at ng inyong mga barangay (Know the hotline numbers of the Coast Guard, police, military and local villages).

7. Sumunod sa mga alituntunin at ipinagbabawal ng Coast Guard hinggil sa paglalayag sa panahon ng bagyo (Follow the guidelines of the Coast Guard during typhoons).

8. Tulungan ang Coast Guard sa pagbibigay ng mga paalala, babala at pagbabawal sa paglalayag sa panahon ng bagyo sa iba pang mangingisda sa inyong lugar kapag panahon ng bagyo (Help the Coast Guard disseminate advisories on the weather).

9. Laging magdala ng sapat na bilang ng lifejackets, flashlights, at baterya sa paglalayag (Always bring lifejackets, flashlights and batteries).

10. Ugaliing magkaroon o huwag labis na lumayo sa iba pang mga kasamahang mga bangka sa pangingisda (Do not stray too far from fellow fishermen).

11. Tiyaking maayos ang kondisyon ng motor o makina at mga katig ng bangka bago maglayag at magdala ng mga gamit pangkumpuni (Make sure your motorboat is in good condition before leaving shore).

12. Laging isaisip ang sariling kaligtasan sa karagatan at huwag isapalaran ang inyong buhay (Always keep safety at sea in mind).

The Coast Guard also advised fishermen to call its hotlines at telephone numbers 527-3877 and 5278481, and its text hotline at 0917-7243682 (0917-PCGDOTC). – VVP, GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/197254/coast-guard-issues-typhoon-guidelines-for-fishermen

Gulf coast fishermen angry over oil claims ruling

Reuters – A man wearing a shirt with a picture of a commercial fishing boat on the back listens to a BP contractor …

• Slideshow:Gulf Coast Oil Spill
• Play VideoVideo:Where Do Gulf Relief Wells Stand? ABC News
• Play VideoVideo:BP, Obama watch to see if oil cap works AP

By Leigh Coleman – Sat Jul 17, 12:46 am ET

BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) – Fishermen in Mississippi say they are angry that under the terms of BP's $20 billion oil spill fund, money they earn doing clean-up will be subtracted from their claim against the company.

The fishermen reacted after Kenneth Feinberg, the federal official in charge of administering the compensation fund, announced the decision at a town hall meeting in Biloxi on Friday.

Some walked out of the meeting in protest, arguing it was pointless to work under the Vessels of Opportunity program, set up by BP to help clean up the damage from the deepwater leak that started in April.

Oil stopped flowing from the leak on Thursday.

"I am furious about this," said Tuget Nguyen, who works with family members as a fisherman in Pass Christian, Mississippi.

"If he takes away the money we are making from BP when we get our claims, then nobody is going to work for BP to clean up this oil and we will not rent our boats to BP either. It is not fair," Nguyen said.

Thousands of fishermen in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, out of work because federal authorities have closed much of the Gulf to fishing, are working for the Vessels of Opportunity program, skimming oil from the water and protecting coastlines.

Vessels of Opportunity "workers can file a claim, but we will subtract the amount they are paid from BP from their claim. That is how it has to work .... Of course you can file a claim. You must file a claim, but you cannot get paid twice," Feinberg told the meeting.

Fishermen can earn between $1,000 and $3,000 a day renting their boats under the program and individuals can earn upward of $1,400 a day. Charter boat captains can make even more.

The figures represent less than what could be earned at the peak of a shrimping season, curtailed because of the spill, but more than fishermen who have claimed against BP for economic losses have been paid.

As a result, the program has created division in some communities between those working on it and others still unemployed. Local fishermen also complain that outsiders have profited from the program at the expense of those who have lost their livelihood.

"This (Feinberg's ruling) means I am actually losing money because I have to pay my crew out of the money BP is paying me to clean up this oil," Larry Dossett from Biloxi said.

"If he only pays me the difference, I am in the hole. We are financially dead already."

(Writing by Matthew Bigg, editing by Stacey Joyce)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_oil_spill_feinberg