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ROBERT S.

DIPASUPIL

Fishing in the Philippines

Introduction
Philippine seas supply food for the whole country and livelihood

for millions of people. Fisheries are economically, culturally, socially and ecologically important to all Filipinos. These resources are in crisis as evidenced by the declining fish catch, size and species composition around the country. The current condition of fisheries in the Philippines and worldwide is bleak. Overfishing, illegal fishing and habitat destruction combined with increased demand for fish and population growth continue to drive fisheries production into a deeper abyss. Seemingly impossible just 20 years ago, protein deficiency among fishing communities is now increasing at an alarming rate.

Situationer

Situationer (Bureau of Agricultural Statistics)


In 2011, the total volume of fisheries production was 3.47 percent lower than

last years record. Commercial fisheries posted the biggest output decrease at 16.29 percent. In municipal fisheries, production went down by 2.84 percent. Aquaculture, as the only gainer, experienced a 2.44 percent increase in output. The annual commercial fisheries production at 1,039,758.58 metric tons was 202,343.18 metric tons lower than last years record of 1,242,101.76 metric tons. The drop in the volume of unloadings was noted in all quarters of 2011. The biggest cuts in production were observed during the first and third quarters at 18.09 percent and 19.33 percent, respectively. Zamboanga Peninsula accounted for the bulk of commercial fish unloaded in 2011 at 214,436.45 metric tons. SOCCSKSARGEN ranked second with total unloadings of 180,123.95 metric tons. Western Visayas followed with total unloadings of 103,808.69 metric tons. Twelve (12) regions recorded production shortfalls during the year while four (4) regions recorded production gains. However, Zamboanga Peninsula posted the biggest decrease of 36.88 percent.

Situationer
Municipal fishermen produced 1,332,383.15 metric tons in 2011 or 39,006.63

metric tons lower than last years level. Production declined in all quarters of 2011. The biggest decrease was noted during the first quarter at 4.71 percent. The volume of fish unloaded by marine municipal fishing boats reached 1,138,680.30 metric tons which shared 85.46 percent of the total municipal fisheries output. The volume of fish caught by inland municipal fishing households at 193,702.85 metric tons was 14.54 percent of the total municipal fisheries output. Marine municipal fisheries production went down by 3.84 percent while inland municipal fisheries production gained by 3.44 percent. Aquaculture surpassed its 2010 production by 62,151.68 metric tons or 2.44 percent. Production in 2011 was estimated at 2,608,118.81 metric tons. It declined by 0.52 percent in the third quarter. The other quarters indicated higher production and the biggest increment was noted during the second quarter at 5.36 percent. Seaweed production at 1,840,832.86 metric tons was about 70.58 percent of total aquaculture production.

FISHERY RESOURCES
MARINE RESOURCES
1. Total Territorial Water Area (including the EEZ)
a. Coastal 2,200,000 sq. km 266,000 sq. km

b. Oceanic
2. Shelf Area (Depth 200 m) 3. Coral Reef Area Coastline (length)

1,934,000 sq. km.


184,600 sq. km.

27, 000 sq. km. (Within the 10-20 fathoms where reef fisheries occur)
36,289 km

FISHERY RESOURCES
INLAND RESOURCES (in ha) 1. Swamplands 246,063

a. Freshwater b. Brackishwater
2. Existing Fishpond a. Freshwater b. Brackishwater 3. Other Inland Resources

106,328 139,735
253,854 14,531 239,323 250,000

a. Lakes
b. Rivers c. Reservoirs

200,000
31,000 19,000

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES


CORE PROBLEMS Loss of marine biodiversity Declining fish stocks Loss of revenues and benefits from fisheries and coastal resources CONTRIBUTING FACTORS Overfishing Illegal and destructive fishing Coastal and habitat degradation Siltation and pollution Post-harvest losses Inefficient marketing Open access Inter- and intra-sectoral conflicts Low awareness and participation in management Lack of employment/poverty among municipal fishers Low awareness of the implications of overpopulation and food security Lack of delivery mechanisms for reproductive health programs in rural coastal communities

Inequitable distribution of benefits from fisheries and coastal resource uses

Population growth

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES


CORE PROBLEMS
Weak institutional and stakeholder capacity to plan and implement fisheries management

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS Absence of a vision for institutional change to support sustainable fisheries Inadequate technical and financial support to LGU fisheries management initiatives Weak and inadequate law enforcement Inadequate interagency coordination mechanisms for fisheries and coastal resource management

Low awareness and understanding of the implications of Lack of a constituency for overfishing on food security and economic development sustainable fisheries Polarization of stakeholders over means to achieve sustainable fishing Inconsistent policies and programs for sustainable fisheries Continued investments in production-oriented programs Conflicting and fragmented national policies

Politico Legal Aspect


The fisheries of the Philippines is primarily regulated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources under the Department of Agriculture.

Philippine Marine Jurisdictional Boundaries

BFAR
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is the government agency responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the country's fisheries and aquatic resources. It was reconstituted as a line bureau by virtue of Republic Act No. 8550 (Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998). The bureau is under the Department of Agriculture.

FUNCTIONS OF BFAR
As a line bureau, BFAR has the following functions: Prepare and implement a comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development Plan; Issue licenses for the operation of commercial fishing vessels; Issue identification cards free of charge to fish workers engaged in commercial fishing; Monitor and review joint fishing agreements between Filipino citizens and foreigners who conduct fishing activities in international waters and ensure that such agreements are not contrary to Philippine commitment under international treaties and convention on fishing in the high seas;

FUNCTIONS OF BFAR
Formulate and implement a Comprehensive Fishery Research and

Development Program, such as, but not limited to, sea farming, sea ranching, tropical / ornamental fish and seaweed culture, aimed at increasing resource productivity improving resource use efficiency, and ensuring the long term sustainability of the county's fishery and aquatic resources; Establish and maintain a comprehensive Fishery Information System; Provide extensive development support services in all aspects of fisheries production, processing and marketing; Provide advisory services and technical assistance on the improvement of quality of fish from the time it is caught (i.e., on board fishing vessels, at landing areas, fish markets, to the processing plants and to the distribution and marketing chain); Coordinate efforts relating to fishery production undertaken by the primary fishery producers, LGUs, FARMCs, fishery and organization / cooperatives;

FUNCTIONS OF BFAR
Advise and coordinate with LGUs on the maintenance of proper

sanitation and hygienic practices in fish markets and fish landing areas; Establish a corps of specialists in collaboration with the Department of National Defense, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Foreign Affairs for the efficient monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities within Philippine territorial waters and provide the necessary facilities, equipment and training thereof; Implement and inspection system for import and export of fishery / aquatic products and fish processing establishments consistent with international standards to ensure product quality and safety; Coordinate with LGUs and other concerned agencies for the establishment of productivity-enhancing and market development programs in fishing communities to enable women to engage in other fisheries / economic activities and contribute significantly to development efforts;

FUNCTIONS OF BFAR
Enforce all laws, formulate and enforce all rules and regulations

governing the conservation and management of fishery resources, except in municipal waters and to settle conflicts of resource use and allocation in consultation with the NFARMC, LGUs and local FARMCs; Develop value-added fishery products for domestic consumption and export; Recommend measures for the protection / enhancement of the fishery industries; Assist the LGUs in developing their technical capability in the development, management, regulation conservation and protection of the fishery resources; Formulate rules and regulations for the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks; and Perform such other related functions which shall promote the development, conservation, management protection and utilization of fisheries and aquatic resources.

BUDGET ALLOCATION
2009 BUDGET

2010 BUDGET 2011 BUDGET


2012 BUDGET

FISHERIES LEGISLATIONS
Fisheries Code Republic Act 8550 - THE PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998 "An act providing for the development, and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic

resources, integrating all laws pertinent thereto, amanagement nd for other purposes." Pursuant to Republic Act No. 8550 - IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS "An act providing for the development, management and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic rresources, integrating all laws pertinent thereto, and for other purposes." Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (RA 8435) "An act prescribing urgent related measures to modernize the agriculture and fisheries sectors of the country in order to enhance their profitability, and prepare said sectors for the challenges of the globalization through an adequate, focused and rational delivery of necessary support services, appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes." Presidential Decree No. 704 "Revising and consolidating all laws and decrees affecting fishing and fisheries." Philippine Fishery Legislation Fisheries Administrative Order

FISHERIES AMINISTRATION ISSUES

Fisheries Contribution on the Economy


Being an archipelago that is made up of 7,107 islands, the Philippines enjoys the vastness

of the oceans and seas that surround its peripheral territories. Suffice to say that the country is truly blessed with its bounty of natural resources thriving in these water bodies. Fishing has been an important source of livelihood for Filipinos, fish being the countrys second staple food next to rice. On the average, every Filipino consumes daily about 98.6 grams of fish and fish products (FNRI,1994). The fishing industry provided employment to about one million Filipinos or around 3 percent of the countrys labor force in 1998. Being labor intensive, municipal fishing generated 68 percent of the total employment, followed by aquaculture with 26 percent and commercial fishing, 6 percent. The fishery is a notable sector in the Philippine economy. For the period 1985 to 1998, the average annual contribution of fishery to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices amounted to 3.6 percent. In 1998, the gross value added (GVA) at current prices of the industry amounted to P74.1 billion, contributing 2.7 percent and 2.8 percent to the countrys GDP and Gross National Product, respectively. Its share to the agriculture, fishery and forestry sector is 17.6 percent.

Production Volume Source: BAS (in tons)


6,000,000.00 FISHERIES 5,000,000.00

Commercial Fisheries
4,000,000.00 Municipal Fisheries 3,000,000.00 Marine Municipal Fisheries 2,000,000.00 Inland Municipal Fisheries 1,000,000.00 Aquaculture 0.00 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

250000

Fish Production by Value (in milliion) (Current Prices)

200000

150000 fisheries commercial municipal 100000 Aquaculture

50000

0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Fish Production Constant Price (2000) in million Pesos


180000 160000 Constant Prices FISHERIES 140000

120000
Constant Prices ..Commercial

100000

80000

60000

Constant Prices ..Municipal

40000

20000

Constant Prices ..Aquaculture 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Fish prices (BFAR) Retail Prices by Commodity and Year

2001
FISHERY Alumahan [Indian mackerel] Bangus [Milkfish] Bisugo [Threadfin bream] Crab, Alimasag [Blue crab] Dalagang-Bukid, lapad [Caesio] Dilis [Anchovies] Galunggong [Roundscad] Sapsap [Slipmouth] Shrimp, Suaje [Endeavor prawn] Shrimp, Sugpo [Tiger prawn] Tilapia Tulingan [Frigate tuna]

2002 . 72.69 78.92 93.27 100.33 93.96 49.45 60.41 75.36 198.32 360.55 57.71 57.96

2003 . 72.90 75.24 94.99 106.52 94.20 50.65 59.81 75.04 206.78 360.49 58.80 60.05

2004 . 80.73 85.12 104.66 118.84 104.07 53.76 66.19 83.77 228.47 381.29 67.38 66.42

2005 . 83.66 87.36 110.02 130.91 111.36 55.91 66.99 91.77 240.98 390.71 69.29 67.81

2006 . 89.49 89.59 116.23 136.03 116.12 60.52 73.43 100.49

2007 . 93.42 96.46 121.14 143.68 122.62 66.10 74.97 102.86

2008 . 102.20 104.93 130.43 156.72 129.85 71.39 84.04 108.91

2009 . 107.59 114.37 138.84 168.57 138.46 73.85 87.99 107.27

2010 . 104.68 112.56 139.37 171.86 136.22 74.22 87.45 112.51

. 70.72 82.50 91.34 97.96 93.08 50.21 59.44 71.58 192.25 351.29 59.17 57.30

246.40 259.23 264.32 271.72 266.26 399.06 409.18 415.32 421.39 425.70 70.46 74.11 80.38 86.49 87.61 72.27 75.49 87.56 92.65 92.31

Gross Value Added in Fishery by Industry


Group, Type of Valuation and Year (in million Pesos, base time 1985)
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Constant Prices 39,248 41,790 44,891 48,878 51,782 54,825 58,584 61,792 63,202 64,316 Current Prices 84,846 90,281 95,593 110,497 116,340 129,823 143,426 170,400 170,330 174,883

Gross Value Added in Fishery by Industry


Agricultural Exports and Imports: Quantity and Value of by Commodity Group, Year and Quantity/Value Export Fish and Fish Preparations Imports Fish and Fish Preparations Trade Balance Export Fish and Fish Preparations Imports Fish and Fish Preparations Trade Balance 2005 Quantity 106,020,670 2005 Quantity 124,684,157 F.O.B. Value 2006 Quantity F.O.B. Value 386,283,089 C.I.F. Value 70,952,013 2007 Quantity 136,939,783 2007 Quantity 156,273,507 F.O.B. Value 470,076,584 C.I.F. Value 103,761,222 346,870,706 120,683,144 2006 C.I.F. Value Quantity 69,675,064 123,337,437

-18,663,487 277,195,642 -2,654,293 315,331,076 -19,333,724 366,315,362 2008 2009 2010 Quantity F.O.B. Value Quantity F.O.B. Value Quantity F.O.B. Value 169,386,390 638,633,881 167,064,796 566,955,374 177,171,022 633,753,226 2008 2009 2010 Quantity C.I.F. Value Quantity C.I.F. Value Quantity C.I.F. Value 158,691,055 125,741,847 240,025,763 171,904,894 171,131,322 141,986,193 10,695,335 512,892,034 -72,960,967 395,050,480 6,039,700 491,767,033

Economic Considerations
In a fishery for which sustainable economic efficiency

had been specified as the sole benefit to be extracted and in which optimum circumstances prevailed, market forces could be anticipated to lead to the desired objective of economic efficiency. However, in reality such optimum conditions are rarely if ever found and uncertainties and externalities distort the natural selection of market forces.

Uncertainties include unpredictable variability in resources and other sources of imperfect information, and externalities can include the impacts of other fisheries on the target resources (e.g. taking them as bycatch), subsidies, trade regulations, fiscal regulations and variability in markets and demand. All of these introduce complexity and additional uncertainty into a fishery and, without proper management, will lead to sub-optimum economic performance.

Economic Consideration
It is important for the management authority

to consider the broad economic context of a fishery, including relevant macroeconomic factors. As with social considerations, this requires close consultation with the legitimate users who will be the ones most affected by and sensitive to these issues

At one extreme, although still very common in fisheries especially in many developing countries, are the problems of open access fisheries, in which anyone is allowed entry into a fishery. Under these circumstances, people will continue to enter the fishery until the benefits from fishing are so low as to be unattractive to prospective new entrants. How low this is will depend largely on the availability of other options and in many countries, especially developing countries, such alternatives may be extremely scarce. Even where there are reasonable alternatives, the inevitable result of open access fisheries is dissipation of rent leading to very poor economic efficiency and, unless strong and effective management measures are in place and enforced, to over-exploitation of resources. Such circumstances prevail in many fisheries around the world.

Economic Consideration
Overfishing calls for the adoption of measures to ensure

that no vessel be allowed to fish unless so authorized. that States should ensure that the level of fishing is commensurate with the state of fisheries resources, and Going further than that, that Where excess fishing capacity exists, mechanisms should be established to reduce capacity to levels commensurate with the sustainable use of fisheries resources so as to ensure that fisheries operate under economic conditions that promote responsible fisheries. Taken together, these statements specify that responsible fisheries require limited and authorized access by fishers, where actual and potential effort is appropriate to the productivity of the resource or resources being exploited

Social and Cultural benefits


Beyond the food, employment and financial benefits, there can be significant social and cultural outcomes attached to fishing. Fishers, their families and their wider communities benefit. In fisheries that are community managed and fished, the income from fishing may go towards community projects and improving infrastructure and services for the community, or towards support for needy families.

For example, increased production from inland enhancement fisheries provided greater community income for community projects such as building health centers, or to support poorer community members.

Social and Cultural Consideration


Fishing is rarely carried out alone and is often a very social
Research by FMSP in the Pacific showed that the benefits of

activity, strengthening bonds between people and community cohesion.


community rules that limit fishing were primarily social, through community fishing days when the fish were harvested to provide a feast.

People often turn to natural resources when other livelihood


For example, during years of

options are limited, and fisheries can act as a safety net for the poor.
conflict, many people who were displaced from their agricultural lands in the hinterland migrated to the coast and turned to fishing. However, problems are often associated with open-access arrangements which fail to control exploitation of the fish stock. The result may be overexploitation and reduced productivity of the fishery

Social and Cultural

Ecological Consideration
Ecosystem and population is a very important component of Fisheries

The abundance and dynamics of a population place an important constraint on fisheries but aquatic populations do not live in isolation They exist as components of a frequently complex ecosystem, consisting of biological components which may feed on, be fed on by, or compete with a given stock or population. The physical component of the ecosystem, the water itself, the substrate, inflows of freshwater or nutrients and other nonbiological processes may also be very important. Different substrates may be essential for the production of food organisms, for shelter, or as spawning or nursery grounds.

Ecological Considerations
Environmental

conditions change rapidly management of fisheries resources rather hard

making

The environment of fish is very rarely static and conditions, particularly of the aquatic environment, can vary substantially over time, from hourly variability, such as the tides, to seasonal variability in, for example, water temperature and currents, to decadal variability as in the occurrence of El Nio events and regime shifts. The changes in the environmental condition frequently affect the population dynamics of fish populations, resulting in variability in growth rates, recruitment, natural mortality rates or any combination of these. The variability can also affect the availability of fish resources to fishing gear, not only affecting the success of the fishing industry, but also the way in which the fishery scientist must interpret catch and catch rate information from the fishery.

Ecological Consideration
Changes in any of the biological, chemical, geological or physical components of the ecosystem can have impacts on the resource population and community.

Some of these changes may be beyond human control, such as upwelling processes enriching some coastal ecosystems or large scale temperature anomalies, but they still need to be considered in the management of the resource.

Ecological Consideration
Human actions contributes much to the destruction of fisheries resources

The destruction of coastal habitats for development, or the direct impact of fishing on the substrate or on other species impacting the resources, are due to human action.

Ecological Considerations

Fisheries management should both take into account their impacts on the resource and, in consultation with other relevant agencies and parties, take steps to minimize their impacts on the fishery ecosystem.

Ecological Consideration
There is also a need to consider the impact of the fishery on the ecosystem as a whole. There are four types of impact of fisheries on the ecosystem:

direct impact on the target species; direct impacts on the by catch species (including discards and by-mortality; indirect impacts on other organisms transmitted through the food chain (i.e. by changing the abundance of predators, prey or competitors of a population); and direct impact of fishing on the physical or chemical environment. There is a need to be aware of these potential impacts and to use management measures that minimize negative impacts.

Ecological Consideration
The potential to address the ecosystem considerations will vary depending on whether they are caused by factors independent of human action or actions that are basically human in nature.

At the most fundamental level, these factors in combination with the biology of the species determine the maximum abundance, or carrying capacity, and productivity of the resources. Changes in the ecosystem can affect both and, where they are occurring, need to be considered by the fisheries manager.

Ecological Consideration
On the part of the government, they

should assess the impacts of environmental factors on target stocks and species belonging to the same ecosystem or associated with or dependent upon the target stocks, and assess the relationship among the populations in the ecosystem. should take appropriate measures to minimize waste, discards, catch by lost or abandoned gear, catch of non-target species, both fish and non-fish species, and negative impacts on associated or dependent species, in particular endangered species.

Technological Consideration
When it comes to technology, it is a two bladed sword, the

development of the technology that could be used in increasing fish catch is actually damaging to the fisheries resources. The fisheries management has very little, if any, ability to influence directly the dynamics of the fish populations or communities which support a fishery. There may be opportunities and a desire to undertake stock and habitat enhancement and in some coastal fisheries, habitat destruction may have had an impact on fish production. Restoration or stabilization may well be an issue the fisheries manager needs to consider.

Technological Consideration
The only mechanism the fisheries management has to ensure sustainable utilization of the resources is by regulating the quantity of fish caught, when and where they are caught and the size at which they are caught.

The sustainable utilization can be done through directly regulating the catch taken, by regulating the amount of effort allowed in the fishery, by specifying closed seasons and closed areas and by regulating the type of gear and fishing methods used.

Technological Consideration
There are constraints on how precise the manager can be in setting such regulations. Catch controls are often difficult to monitor and therefore to implement. It is difficult to estimate fishing effort precisely, and normally improving technology and developing skills result in on-going increases in the efficiency of fishing operations, leading to continuing increases in effective effort, unless steps are actively taken to counter these improvements or their consequences.

Technological Consideration
Fishing gear is rarely strongly selective and by-catch of non-

target species or unwanted sizes of target species is frequently a problem. The uncertainties in fisheries management are not just at the level of predicting the status and dynamics of the resources, and uncertainties in the real consequences of implementing fishery measures is also a significant problem to the manager. A fundamental problem in many fisheries is the existence of too much effort.
The presence of excess effort will frequently result in on-going

pressure on the fisheries manager to exceed the sustainable fishing mortality on a resource. The social and political pressure to provide employment and opportunities for all those with a stake in the fishery is often hard to resist and readily leads to over-exploitation.

Socio Cultural Considerations


Human populations and societies are as dynamic as other biological

populations, and social changes take place continuously and on different scales, affected by changes in weather, employment, political circumstances, supply of and demand for fisheries products and other factors. The social and cultural changes can affect the appropriateness and effectiveness of management strategies, and therefore need to be considered and accommodated by them. As with biological and technological factors, it can be difficult to identify and quantify the key social and cultural factors influencing fisheries management, generating additional uncertainties for the manager. A major social constraint in fisheries management is that human societies and behavior are not easily transformed and fishing families and communities may not be willing to move into other occupations, or away from their normal homes when there is surplus capacity in a fishery, even when their quality of life may be suffering as a result of depleted fish resources. The problem is much worse when there are no other opportunities outside of fisheries in which they could earn a basic living.

Socio-Cultural Considerations
The political decision to reduce capacity in the fishery is an extremely

unattractive option, as the short-term costs of excluding dependent people from the fishery will be much more visible and hence unpopular than a hands-off approach which allows the resource and fishery to dwindle in magnitude and quality under sustained excess fishing mortality. Nevertheless, the ecological, economic and social consequences of the latter choice are far more serious in the longer term. This reluctance or inability to take decisions with serious, immediate social consequences for some has been one of the constraints most responsible for over-fishing around the world. A key requirement for ensuring that social and cultural considerations are properly considered is to involve the interested parties in fisheries management, keeping them well-informed on the management aspects of the fishery and providing them with the opportunity to express their needs and concerns.

Socio-Cultural Considerations
The relative balance between social and economic

considerations in a fishery will depend on the priority given by the appropriate authority to social objectives and economic objectives. Social and economic objectives can conflict.
For example it is unlikely that maximizing economic

efficiency and maximizing employment could be simultaneously pursued within a given fishery, and attempting to do so will result in conflict. It is important for the fisheries authority to have identified such potential conflicts and to have resolved them, identifying and specifying compromise objectives that achieve general support.

SWOT Analysis. Mapping the Fishing Industry

Weaknesses
Presence of illegal fishing practices Poor fisheries management Lack/insufficient funds to support conservation and

protection efforts of government and non-government organization Weak institutional and stakeholder capacity to plan and implement fisheries management Inconsistent policies and programs for sustainable fisheries Loss of marine biodiversity Declining fish stocks Lack of a constituency for sustainable fisheries

Opportunities
Increasing awareness of the government and the private sector for the need of fisheries management. Communication and understanding between the different parts of the value chain can be improved.

Increasing knowledge and technology base in protection and conservation of resources in fisheries Discovery of new technologies in processing and preserving fish and aquatic products

Threats

Population growth Everyone cares for own interests There is decreasing stocks of fish Overinvestment in the fishing industry Overexploitation of fisheries resources Incursion of foreign fishing vessel in Philippine water Inequitable distribution of benefits from fisheries and coastal resource uses Climatic Impact of the global warming in fisheries

Integration of Management Theories in Systematic Fisheries Management


Fisheries management at the ecosystem level requires a multi-pronged approach to define actions needed to achieve the expected results. It needs a combination of growth, control and maintenance mechanisms for adaptation for implementation in each of the four target areas through active engagement of national and local stakeholders. It should provides technical assistance to stakeholder groups in the target areas to implement the following fisheries management mechanisms:
Growth mechanism Control Mechanism Maintenance Mechanism

Growth mechanisms to enhance fisheries production and marine ecosystem integrity. Encourage environment-friendly economic development and revenue-generating mechanisms such as marine ecotourism, user-fee system and appropriate aquaculture.

Control mechanisms to allocate access to fisheries and coastal resources.


Identify restrictions on fishing gear, fish size limits, fishing areas

and seasons to achieve sustainable fishing based on the results of the baseline assessment, critical threats analysis, and stakeholder planning. Register fishers and issue licenses for fishing vessels and gear (municipal and commercial) based on estimated sustained yield of fish stocks. Establish licensing system supported by legislation for commercial fishing vessels to operate in areas where sustainable yields of fish stocks can be expected and regulated. Train coastal law enforcement units to enforce fisheries and other coastal resource-related laws.

Maintenance mechanisms to improve institutional capacity for fisheries and coastal resource management.
Develop

ecosystem-based fisheries management program to address critical threats to fisheries and other coastal resources. Cluster local government units into viable fisheries and coastal resource management units in association with interagency and multisectoral collaborative mechanisms for planning, implementation and enforcement. Assist stakeholders integrate population and reproductive health programs in fisheries management. Identify appropriate and efficient market-based incentives for compliance and investments in sustainable fisheries. Promote public-private partnerships for fisheries management.

Recommendations
The solutions to address these problems are challenging. Tough

decisions must be made to stabilize and reverse the negative trends plaguing fisheries and coastal habitats today. Fisheries and coastal resource management must be prioritized by national and local stakeholders to ensure food on the table today, and fish catch in the future and continued economic benefits from the rich coastal ecosystems of the Philippines. Development of ecosystem-based fisheries management program to address critical threats to fisheries and other coastal resources should be given priority by the national, local and non governmental organization. Development of alternative livelihood programs should also be given priority to support ecosystem based fisheries management programs

References

Dalzell P., P. Corpuz, R. Ganaden and D. Pauly, 1987. Estimation of Maximum Sustainable Yield and Maximum Economic Rent from the Philippine Small Pelagic Fisheries: BFAR Tech Pap. Ser. 10(3): 23 p. National Statistics Office. www.census.gov.ph Bureau of Agricultural Statistics www.bas.gov.ph www.fao.org www.nscb.gov.ph www.bfar.gov.ph Rolando P. Orozco and Vivian D. Escoton, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement for the NGOs for Fisheries Reform

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