In a nation spread across 7,000+ islands, fishing is the backbone of the Philippines’ economy, and a way of life for thousands of fisherfolk.
Each year, fisheries in the Philippines produce about 2 million metric tons of seafood. Most of this fishing takes place on a community level, with municipal fishing accounting for 68% of fishermen, aquaculture fishing at 26%, and commercial fishing at 6%.
In a recently released report, the Philippine Statistics Authority found that fishing experienced a 6.3% growth rate in GDP during the second quarter of 2022 alone.
However, the bountiful seas surrounding the island make the ecosystem vulnerable to overfishing and IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing. Overfishing occurs when a species is caught at a faster rate than it can reproduce, creating tension in supply and demand. IUU fishing is extremely destructive to the environment and maritime species. The two most popular types of IUU fishing in the Philippines are poison fishing and blast fishing, using cyanide and dynamite respectively, to catch large amounts of fish as quickly as possible.
In 2017, the Philippines began a partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to implement sustainable catch limits, a practice which is expected to quadruple fish populations and feed an additional 25 million people by 2050, with fishing profits rising 500%. According to the EDF, most fisheries could be healthy within a decade.
The Philippines is setting “an example for the region and the rest of the world for how to build policies that improve food security and provide economic development, while at the same time recovering fisheries, said John Mimikakis, the vice president for Asia for EDF’s Oceans program.
The Filipino people are also doing their part to protect the seas they rely upon. Many fisherfolk use traditional, nonharmful methods to provide for their communities. Spearfishing and “bobo” traps are some of the most popular and have been used for hundreds of years.
With this combination of government, conservationist organizations, and local communities, Philippines is on the right track to be a leader in sustainable fishing. There’s still work to be done, though, and luckily there are multiple routes for the country to take:
Create more protected areas
Conserving specified locations where marine life can thrive is integral to both guard and repair multiple species.
Set limits for fishers
Efforts are already underway to limit the intake of fisheries, but ensuring both legitimate Philippine fishers and foreigners coming into its waters to fish adhere to these restrictions is integral.
Strictly enforce and ban illegal fishing methods
Although policies like the Republic Act 8550, requires fisheries in the Philippines to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU practices, not enough is being done to address the enduring prevalence of these harmful methods.
Education
Learning more about fishing is the first step to address its problems and enhance its benefits. By educating the public and key decision-makers alike, we can begin to move towards a more sustainable, still profitable, future.
