Analysis and Direction of the Philippine Fisheries

I. CBCRM NGOs programs

1. CBCRM NGOs have attempted to make an analysis of the strategic issues of the fishing
communities and how to resolve them. Based on current trends, there are 4 strategic issues that are
interrelated as shown in the Illustration below.

CBCRM Framework in Addressing 4 Strategic Issues

Political-Economic

Business
Domination
Causes of Poverty in Fishing Communities Equity-driven Development
low socio-economic, cultural and political status (Non-market-driven development)
insecure access to resources Tripartite Body (National)
lack of political and financial support
WTO / UNCTAD/UNDP (int’l)
vulnerability (seasonal catch, market price, risk, etc)
trend towards resource depletion
remoteness of many fishing communities
agro-ecological characteristics of nearby land Political
competition and conflict with industrial vessels Socio-cultural
and other economic sectors in coastal areas
Socio-economic Political
Marginalization/
Poverty Gender Inequality
Equity Empowerment
Basic Social Services / Gender Equality
Livelihood Development Community Organizing
+Mariculture Project Participatory Governance
+Land-Based Projects
+Fishing/Processing Projects
+Others Environmental
Environmental
Degradation
Systems-Orientation
Sustainability
Coastal and Fisheries Resource Management
+Fish Habitat Management
+Fish Stock Management
2. Corollary to the above, there are 3 major sectors that are the key players in development, these
are: government, business, and civil society. Of the 3, it is the business sector that dominates and its
domination is entrenched by the government itself.

3. Some CBCRM NGOs are developing and improving their approaches and strategies in assisting
the partner POs in resolving the 4 strategic issues for more than a decade. At the start of program
implementation, the approach is capability building of the POs for organizational management and
development and then towards fisheries resource management. Fisheries resource management starts
from PO-led to co-management approach . After learning that it will take a longer time to institutionalize
co-management and make the fish habitat and fish stocks recover, NGOs-POs changed their strategies of
focusing on developing the POs for livelihood development while continuing the efforts towards
institutionalization of co-management. In fact, livelihood development had been started long in the initial
years of the program through self-help project and accessing of basic social services.

4. Currently, the NGOs-POs which are advanced in CBCRM have developed the capacity to
participate in local governance and make certain influence on the LGUs and LGAs and other
stakeholders. However, the co-management approach in CRM has yet to be institutionalized in terms of
secured annual budget and management body and it is still a long way to go particularly so that RA
8550 and its IRR is not being given focus by the LGUs and line agencies which are mandated to
implement it. The major activities in fisheries resource management are fishery law enforcement,
ecology-awareness raising, and accessing of financial and technical assistance for alternative livelihood
projects.

5. The business sector with interest in commercial fishing and conversion of mangrove areas into
fishponds is showing sign that they get on with their illegal activities because of “connections.” The
business sector attempts to establish “connections” with government for the purpose of gaining favors in
their business interests which are contrary to the interest of the small fisherfolkmust be met with efforts
by the NGOs-POs in engaging the government units and instrumentalities through good governance.
Several NGOs-POs have experienced on how to engage the erring local executives in cahoots with
commercial fishers by bringing the case to the provincial executives until the Ombudsman and in a
particular situation to the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAFC).

6. As an initial step towards CRM or MPA – Integrated Fisheries Livelihood Development Project,
demo projects are being launched to make the POs gain experience in mariculture projects and develop
technical skills, and then making project proposals for submission to concerned funding agencies.

II. CRM by the Government

1. There are several CRM projects in which the government is engaged in. These are the FRMP and
CBRMP which are implemented by the LGU-DENR and LGU-BFAR, respectively, in partnership with
NGOs and POs.

2. There arealso CRM type of program that is implemented by certain entities through funding from
USAID like the FISH Project (Fisheries for Improved Sustainable Harvest).

a. The project is conceptualized based on the “lessons learned from the Coastal Resource
Management Project (CRMP) and other projects and programs to achieve the next crucial benchmark in
managing fisheries and coastal resources in the Philippines. This benchmark calls for integrated fisheries
management driven by informed, disciplined and cooperative stakeholders at national and local levels of
engagement. The FISH Project is a seven-year (2003-2010) technical assistance project funded by the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in partnership with the
Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), other national
government agencies, local government units and non-governmental and other assisting organizations.”

b. Project activities focus on four target implementation areas: Calamianes Islands (Palawan),
Danajon Bank (Bohol, Southern Leyte, Leyte, Cebu), Surigao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi. The Project is
expected to result in a 10% increase in fish stocks in the four target implementation areas by 2010. To
achieve this, national and local activities are undertaken to build capacity, improve the national policy
framework, and develop an informed constituency for fisheries management.

c. The FISH Project does provide an Illustration about the evolution of CRM in the Philippines
d. Its analysis of the fisheries management problems are presented in the following Table.
CORE PROBLEMS
➢ Loss of marine biodiversity
➢ Declining fish stocks
➢ Loss of revenues and benefits from
fisheries and coastal resources
➢ Inequitable distribution of benefits from
fisheries and coastal resource uses
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
➢ Population growth
➢ Lack of delivery mechanisms for reproductive
health programs in rural coastal communities
➢ Continued investments in production-oriented
➢ Inconsistent policies and programs for programs
sustainable fisheries
➢ Conflicting and fragmented national policies
➢ Absence of a vision for institutional change to
support sustainable fisheries
➢ Inadequate technical and financial support to
➢ Weak institutional and stakeholder LGU fisheries management initiatives
capacity to plan and implement
➢ Weak and inadequate law enforcement
fisheries management
➢ Inadequate interagency coordination
mechanisms for fisheries and coastal resource
management
➢ Low awareness and understanding of the
implications of overfishing on food security
➢ Lack of a constituency for sustainable and economic development
fisheries
➢ Polarization of stakeholders over means to
achieve sustainable fishing

e. The project states that “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. Develop ecosystem-based fisheries management program to
address critical threats to fisheries and other coastal resources.”

III. NGO Advocacy Work (National and International)

1. NGOs like Tambuyog and NFR are engaged in advocating and promoting the interests of the
municipal fisherfolk. There are other POs that are doing this like the Kilusang Mangingisda
(FisherfolkMovement – Philippines International). Based on certain articles on advocacy work, the
following are the latest happenings.

a. There is protest against in Non-Agricultural Market Access or NAMA where the fishery industry
is subsumed along with toys, clothes, jewelry and other industrial goods.
b. The WTO's negotiations on NAMA will further marginalize artisanal fisherfolk due to non-
recognition of the "externalities" involved within the whole fishing industry especially subsidies for
commercial fleet operations and industrial aquaculture.

c. The Fisherfolk Movement - Philippines International (thru its Liaison Mr. Ruperto Aleroza)
issued a statement demanding that, "the artisanal fishers of world which comprises the bulk of the
producers of fish and fishery related products, has been reeling from a very lopsided trade arrangement
brought about by bilateral talks and regional talks, and further discussion of liberalizing the fishing
industry under the WTO will be a bad thing for all artisanal fisherfolk." He also stated that, "there is a
need for local industry protection from competition from highly subsidized fishing fleets from developed
countries, therefore we must discipline those countries who are investing heavily in their respective
floating factories, which results to over-fishing."

The Fisherfolk Movement -Philippines further stated that there is a need to strengthen artisanal fishers’
capacity to manage their resources, using municipal subsidies that will enhance local and regional
capacity to sustainably produce fish and like products for their own consumption.

d. As a rejoinder the current Chair of the Fisherfolk Movement-Philippines, Mr. Bonifacio Federizo,
stated that "its seems that there is a need to again rethink the whole strategy of multilateralism on global
trade using pro-poor and pro-environment templates, this in consideration of the collapse

IV. Analyzes of the Fisheries Situation

1. World Fish Production

a. Total world fish production appears to be increasing but not from fish catching which has leveled
off starting the 1990s at less than 100 million metric tons as shown in the Illustration below.

It is the fish production from aquaculture (fish farmed) that makes the total world total fish production
still increasing.
 World Fish Production

140
Total

120

100
Fish Catch
Million Tons

80

60

Fish Farmed
40

20

0
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Year
b. The Illustration above shows the status of world fisheries: 9% is under-exploited, 23% is
moderately exploited, 44% - fully heavily exploited, 16% - over exploited, 6% depleted, and 3% is
recovering. The too much exploitation of the world fish stocks has led to overfishing which means that
volume of catch is more than what the wild fish can reproduce which then results to the catching of
portion of the total fish biomass required to attain maximum sustainable level.

c. Overfished areas can be made to recover through protection like declaring closed seasons
or regulation of fishing activities. However due to too much fishing boats with gears has led to
overcapacity. According to an artcle, numerous statistics point to over-capacity:
1) despite warnings of a slowdown in the marine catch in the 1970's and 80's, the fishing
industry increased fishing efforts

2) over the past 40 years, the technology used in fishing has improved

3) now, boats are more powerful, fish are located electronically through sonar, larger nets
are used, and there are just more fishing operations.

4) at present, the industry is twice as large as necessary; it could go back to the smaller,
fewer boats of 1970 and still produce the same yield; this overcapacity is global: Norway
is 60% over, while the European Union is 40% over

d. An article on world fisheries stated that to illustrate how overcapacity works, we will study the
example of the Peruvian anchovy, which in boom years was the largest new fishery in the world.

1) Before 1950, fish in Peru were harvested mainly for human consumption. The total
annual catch was 86,000 tons.

2) In 1953, the first fish meal plants were developed.

3) Within 9 years, Peru became the number one fishing nation in the world by volume.
4) This lead to a period of boom years in Peru. 1,700 purse seiners exploited a 7-month
fishing season.
Since early 1960s fish catch volume
increased dramatically until it
reached 1st peak at 10.5 M m.t. The
following years It went below 9M m.t.
indicating that the fish stock at 2nd higher peak was attained at about
sustainable yield is between 10.5 and 12M m.t. but this was not sustained
9M m.t. Indicating that this is beyond the MSY

3rd highest peak was attained

but the reduction in subsequent
catch was so abrupt Indicating
a collapse in the fishery

Maximum
Sustainable
Yield (MSY)
 5) Fearing a crash, in 1970, a group of scientists in the Peruvian government issued a
warning. They estimated that the sustainable yield was around 9.5 million tons, a number
that was currently being surpassed The government turned a deaf ear toward its own
scientists. Due to the collapse of the Norwegian and Icelandic herring fisheries the
previous year, Peru was more poised than ever to earn yet more hard currency.

6) Therefore, in 1970, the government allowed a harvest of 12.4 million tons. The following
year, 10.5 million tons were harvested. In 1972, the combination of an El Nino year and
the prolonged overfishing led to a complete collapse of the fishery. It has not recovered.

2. Philippine Fishery Production

a. Total Annual Fish Production: The Graph below shows that the country’s total fish production
has kept on increasing. However closer look at the data shows the following:

1) However, a closer look shows that the municipal fish catch has attained its highest in 1991 and it
went down until itslowest in 1998 and slowly increasing until 2005 which is at the level of 1991. It be
said that the municipal fishing ground has become overfished but the expansion of fishing grounds by the
municipal fishers in the deeper waters has kept the fish catch of the municipal fishers appear increasing.
 Fish Production By Sector 5 out of 20 species are demersal
Total Value of Production: Aquaculture Municipal Comm’l
2001 - P106.98B P 36.634B 34.222 36.089 Major Marine Fish Production
2002 - 113.26B 35.418B 38.158 39.681
2003 - 119.87B 37.199B 40.664 42.003 350
4000 Total Number of Fisherfolk 250,000 700,000 50,000 total dsc a
d Round
Income per month (assuming P12,399 P 4,840 P 70,005 roun
equal distribution of wealth) P413/day Cumulative
P 161/day P2,333/dayGrowth rate
3619 of 5.5% Philippine Marine FishindianP
3500 3369 Top 5 species are:
municipal
frigate
3147 5.5% growth 1.roundscad 300
Rate (base=1998) 2.frigate tuna commercialskipjac
3000 3. indian sardine
2,500,000 total fimbria
4. skipjack
Population 5. yellowfin/big-eye
2500 Growth rate 250 (demersal)
yellow

2005 data: (base=1998) ancho

Production (x000 m.t.)

Aquaculture = 1,895,847 m.t. Population Growth Rate of 2.36% Indian sar

dine
2000 Commercial = 1,133,976 m.t. commercial Intensified
technology
2,000,000 bigeye
Municipal Marine = 988,240 m.t.
aquaculture and mariculture slipmo
Municipal Inland = 143,806 m.t. 200
1500

x 1000 Metric Tons

Total municipal=1,132,046 m.t. 1454 a (demersal)
Deep-sea tun indian
1338 te
1,220. expansion ga
Fri jac k eye
(demersal
1,110 Skip / bi g- squid
1000 977 1042
989
1055. CRM projects
owf i n 1,500,000 (dem) flying
Offshore Yell Bigeye scad
150

Metric Tons
970 fishing
500 Population Growth Rate of 2.36% anch
ovies rel
blue c

Municipal (marine/inland) 6.5% growth rate Indian mac ke thread

0 (base=1998)
100 1,000,000 (demersal)
indo-p
squid (demersal)
Population easter
b. regional Growth rate=
1992
1993

1999
2000
1991

1994
1995
1996
1997
1998

2001
2002
2003

sigani
2.36%
volume (base=1998) 50 500,000 snapp

creva
no. fishing boats
Year cavall
c. provincial 0
2001
0 2002 2003
d. species
1998 1999 2000 2001
Year

Year
2) The commercial fish catch appears to be continuously increasing although not significantly until
2003 and even until 2005 and the reason is the expansion of fishing grounds by the commercial fishers
particularly after the implementation of RA 8550 beyond the municipal water. However, intrusion of
commercial fishing boats into the municipal water has been occurring particularly in areas where fishery
law enforcement is not strict.

3) Aquaculture production which was the lowest of the 3 sectors in 1991 has been very much on top
in 2003 and even until 2005. Just like the world trend in fish production, it is the aquaculture sector
which keeps the country’s total fish production appear to be increasing significantly..

b. Fish Production by Sub-Sector

1) Graph below shows that for the municipal marine fish catch, the municipal marine fish catch was
higher than commercial fish catch during 2003-2005.
 Fish Production by Sub-sector

1600 Seaweed significant increase

Municipal slight increase

1400

1200 Mun marine increasing

2003
2004
Production ('000MT)

1000
2005

800
Brackishwater / freshwater pond
600 slight increase
Marine pen /
cage showing
400 increasing trend

200

er
ge
d

nd
l

ds
e

l
ia

se
n

ag
an
in

st
c

ee
ca
po
po

us
ar

oy
er

c
l
in

n/
n/

aw
m
m

m
r
er

te

pe
un

pe
m

un

at

se
wa
co

hw

e
r
m

te

in
sh
kis

wa

ar
fre

M
ac

sh
Br

e
Fr

2) For fishponds, both the brackishwater and freshwater fishponds have almost same increase in
volume of production during 2003-2005.
3) For mariculture, it is the seaweed culture that provided the significantly highest increase in the
volume of production followed by marine cage/pen culture. It is the seaweed production alone that
contributed to the significant increase in the overall aquaculture production.

c. Fish Food Supply and Security

The Graph shows that population growth rate of the country is gradually increasing while the catch per
unit effort (CPUE) is decreasing. This means that the available fish supply is decreasing over the years
and therefore the animal protein requirement of the Filipinos is becoming less available or scarce. This
situation will be the basis for unlimited importation of cheap fishery products from developed countries
due to subsidy being provided by those countries to their fishers and lower tariff rates charged against
imported fishery products.

d. What marine species that contributed to the slight increase in marine fish production? It is the
Indian sardine (tamban) that has the highest increase in volume of catch, followed by

F
IR
Y
E Major Marine Species Caught
o
n
e
ia
u
sld
m 2003
tlin
b 350
2004 Fimbriated sardine (tunsoy),
d
a
o
re 2005 yellowfin / big-eyed tuna, while the
300
s
n
irw
fc
n
a 250
other species with slight increase
Volume ('000 MT)

tisa during 2003-2005.

200
d
a
ln
e
ir
d 150
tsd
stlie 100

c
lin
a 50
g
re
e
h
d 0
itsa
l

An na
li t e

Sn all a
fn l

C id
th
/b jack
Yl S una

td re

C rm
ue lle

ng s
e e

rd k r
Pc u id

r
s d

Si h
Fm Ind d

Sl v y
Bg e

pe
Fr r din

Fl rab

fs
In s ca

n
ou
br m k
y

Th c M
u

Bl eva
trn rdi

b
ey

ch

ga
-e

is
u
n
do Sq

av
tt

ap
t
w k ip

pm

c
Es s
nd

ig

r
f
gt

yi
d
R

ig
n
e
fin

In

n
a
icg Species
srf
n
cie
e
sa
n
n
ie
a
sft
i
ci
n
n
a
g
c
n
tr
e. What species that contributed to significant increase in aquaculture production? It is the seaweed
e
iawhich is highest in increase in volume of production by 350,000 m.t., followed by bangus by 43,000 m.t.,
sthen tilapia.by 27,000 m.t., and with other species like tiger prawns, carp, oyster, and mussel having
n
ce
lesser increase.
r
e
a
s
e Aquaculture Production

1600 2003
2004
1400 1338.6
2005
1204.8
1200
988.9
Volume ('000 MT)

1000

800

600

400 289.2
273.5 163
246.5 145.9
200 136 37.7 16.5
17.2 20.1
35.9 13.8 15.9 15
35 8.9 14.5 13.5
0
seaw eeds milkfish tilapia tiger carp oyster mussel
praw n
Major Species

f. Extent of competition between commercial and municipal fishers in terms of species? The Graph
below shows that both commercial fishers and municipal fishers are competing for the same
 Marine Fish Catch in 2003

commercial
300000
municipal

250000
Catch (metric tons)

200000

150000

100000

50000

0
na
na

ad

es
e
e

ab
l
ck

th

id
d

re
in
in
ca

qu
ou
sc
tu
tu

vi
a

ke

cr
rd
rd

pj

ho
ds

S
m
e

fin

ac
d

sa
sa

e
ki
at

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nc
ye
n

lip
S

m
ou

ig

B
d
n

lo

A
-e

te
ia

Fr

n
R

el

ig
d

ia
ia
Y
In

d
br

In
m
Fi

Species

speciesof fish. On top is roundscad (galunggong), followed by Indian sardine (tamban), frigate tuna
(tulingan), yellowfin / big-eyed tuna (tambakol), skipjack (gulyasan), big-eyed scad (matangbaka),
slipmouth (sapsap), Indian mackerel (alumahan), and anchovy (dilis). Since galunggong and the other
small pelagic species are usually dominant in the nearshore and offshore area of the municipal water, this
indicates that commercial fishing boats intrude into the municipal fishing grounds.
g. Extent of competition between municipal fishers with motorized and non-motorized bancas? The
Graph below shows that in 2000 there were more fishers using non-motorized bancas about twice as
much than those with motorized bancas: the highest is in Region 4, followed by Region 8, Region 7,
Region 5, and Region 9. Comparing the Graph on number of Bancas and Graph on fish catch, it is in
Region 7 and 8 in which catch per bancais lowest. There is a sign of overcapitalization leading to the a
situation of overfishing.

Number of Municipal Bancas (2000)

Motorized
Non-motorized
50000
45000 43,358
41,813
40000 37,042
Number of Bancas

35,262
35000 32,370

30000 26,569 25,574

25000
19,453 19,100 20,081
20000 18,375
16,234 16,255
13,280 12,717
15000 11,641 11,382 11,20212,193
8,663 8,088
10000 6,569 7,442
6,037
1,802 2,671
5000 611 2,472
1,502
49
0

XIII
XII
IX
III

VIII,

XI
X
II

VII
I

IV

VI
CAR

ARMM
V

.
Regions
 Municipal Marine Fish Catch 2000-2005
Regions with increase
Regions with
200000 significant increase
Volume of Catch (metric tons)

180000
160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
il a

8
3

R 9

M
AR

R 1
R 0

AR 12
A
4B
4A

1
1

G
an

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg
eg

eg

eg

M
C

eg
eg

eg

A
AR
R

R
R

R
R
M
ro

C
et
M

Region

h. Where are the centers of commercial fishing boats? Graphs below show that NCR which is part
of Region 4-A has the highest number of commercial fishing boats and tonnage level which means that
NCR has bigger size of bancaper gross tonnage. The next highest is Region 11 (Davao provinces)
followed by Region 6 (Panay / Negros Occ), and Region IX (Zamboanga provinces).

The NCR boats are based in NCR and docking their catch at the Navotas Fish Port but the fishing grounds
areall over the country. In terms of catch, it is Region 9 with highest volume of catch per banca. The
commercial boats based in Davao are landing their catch at Region 12 particularly General SantosCity.
On the other hand, Region 6 has the lowest catch per fishing boat due to the overfished conditions of the
fishing grounds in Negros Occidental and Panayprovinces. This means that commercial fishers in these
areas are not making much profit than those in Region 9 and elsewhere.
 Number of Commercial Fishing Boats and Total Tonnage (1999)

Number of Boats
Number / Tonnage (x100) 1800 Gross Tonnage
1600
1,351
1400

1200

1000

800
555
600
404 392
400
221
160 124
200 113 64 94
40 43 7 26 7
0

III

M
R

II
IX

I
III
I II
II

X
II
IV
I

X
V

X
V

X
C

M
V
N

R
A
Regions
R
2
0
e Commercial Fish Catch in 2000-2005
0
g
0
i5
o
n 300000
s
Volume of catch (metric tons)

250000
w
i
t 200000
h
s
i 150000
g
n 100000
i
f
i 50000
c
a
n 0
t
ila
1

9
8

M
AR

A
AR 2
R 0

R 1
4B
4A

G
an
et eg

eg

eg

eg
eg

eg

eg

eg

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C

eg
eg

eg

A
AR
R

R
M

R
ro

C
n
M

c
r
e
a
s
e

i. What are the statusof the fishing grounds or fishery in the different provinces of the country?

1) Map and Graphs of marine fish production of the selected and representative provinces show

that Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Negros Occidental have significant declining marine fish

catchindicating a heavily overfished condition of the fishing grounds. The fishing grounds in Regions 5
and 8 or those facing the Pacific Oceans and Palawan are showing continuous increase in marine fish
catch.
 Marine Fish Production in W estern Samar
Start

Philippine Map showing the Mining Project Areas and

Municipal WESAMAR
program

F is h C a tc h (m e tric ton s )
30000 Commercial CERD
CERD Almagro 26,055

Graphs on Marine Fish Catch of Selected Provinces Total Calbayog program

25000 program
Start of
CERD 23052 23335 24179 25,202

20000 Program 18,285

18317 Maqueda
Bay
(1989) 16485 17364 17.915
15000 15374 14982
15,106

10000 9994 10402

8054 7385 8070
6850 6815 6,158 7,287 7,770
5000
2943 3017
1940
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Year

Municipal Marine Fish Production in Catanduanes

9,000
8,000
7,000
Metric Tons

6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
Marine Fish Production in Camarines
1,000 Sur
municipal 0
commercial

Tu
total 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
0,000

na
Year
0,000

fis
0,000

hi
ng
0,000

0,000

gr
ou
0,000Catch in Iloilo
Fish
municipal

nd
commercial
otal 0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Year

atch in Negros Occidental

municipal
99 commercial
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
total
Year Decreasing
2005 catch
Marine Fish Production in Palawan
municipal
commercial
total
180,000
1987
160,000
140,000 Marine Fish Production in South Cotabato
Marine Fish Catch in Surigao del Sur
Metric Tons

municipal
120,000 commercial
total Highest catch
100,000 250,000
Note:
80,000 25000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Highest catch 1) Provincial catch erratic and declined
from 2001 (14,500+m.t.to 2003
200,000
60,000 Increase
(12,028 m.t.) by 4,500 m.t.
Reduced by
Year
40,000 20000 2) Hinatuan
fromcatch increased
10,500 m.t.fromin2001
1998
Metric Tons

Marine Fish Production in Cebu 150,000 10,000 m.t. or (2-3kgs/day) to 2004 (3-8kgs/day)
Reduced by to 14,500m.t. in 2001
Fish Catch (metric tons)

20,000 municipal (P500M at P50/kg) using fish corral, gill net, fish trap
commercial 10,000 m.t. or 42%
0 total
80000
1998
70000
1999 2000 2001
Year
2002 2003
100,000
2004 Tuna fishing ground 15000 12,028
12,050
?
12,028
50,000 Municipal
10,976 Average daily
60000 10000
Catch = 3-8kgs/day
Average daily Commercial
Average daily
Metric Tons

50000 0 Average daily

Catch = 2-3kgs/day Catch = 3-8kgs/day
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 5000 Catch = 2-3
in Hinatuan kgs/dayin Hinatuan (2004)
(2001)
40000 In Hinatuan (2001)
Year 1,043
30000 1,002 1,038

20000 0
1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
10000
Year
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Year

2) Based on the fish production at the regional levels, the Map below shows that the Regions with
increasing municipal marine fish catch are: Regions 4-B, 5, and 8; those with increasing commercial fish
catch are: Regions 4-B, 5, 8, 9, ARMM, and 12; and those with increasing aquaculture production are:
Region 4-B, 9, and ARMM. Regions with increasing marine fish catch have areas for expansion of
fishing activities even beyond the 15-km limit for deepsea fishing using motorized bancas.
 Municipal Marine Fish Catch 2000-2005
Municipal Marine Fish Catch 2000-2005
200,000
Volume of Catch (metric tons)

200000
(M.T.)

180000
Metric Tons

160000
140000
120000
Volume

100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0 LEGEND:
la a
ni i l
an

A
7

9
1

M MM
C AR 2
R 0

R 1
AR

1 2 3 4A 4B 5 5 7 8 8 10 11 12
4B

MARICULTURE
4A

ar AG
1

1
1
Ma

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg
eg

eg

eg
C

A gARa
troM

M
R

R
R
Mro

a
C
HIGHWAY
e

Regions

R
et

Commercial Fish Catch in 2000-2005

M

Region

Commercial Marine Fish Catch 2000-2005

Volume of Catch (metric tons)

300,000
300,000
250,000

200,000

150,000
D
100,000
REGION 5
50,000 Deep-sea
0
“Payao”
la

REGION
A

M
1

12
10

11
AR
ni

4B
4A

M
eg

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg

eg
a

A
eg

eg

eg
C

AR
M

AR
R

R
ro

4-B REGION 8
C
et
M

Region

LEGEND:
Regions with increasing production
Municipal fish catch 6
Aquaculture Production
Commercial fish catch 7
Regions with Deep-sea
levelling-off “Payao” REGION
or decreasing
fish catch 9

ARMM
Aquaculture Production in 2001-2005 REGION
Aquaculture Production 2001-2005
12
600000
600,000
Deep-sea
Volume in metric tons

500000

400000 “Payao”
300000

200000

100000
0
ila

9
2

6
1

M
AR

10

12
11

A
4B
4A

G
eg

eg

eg

eg

eg
an

eg

eg

eg

M
C

eg

eg
eg

A
AR
R

R
M

AR
R

R
ro

C
et

3) Regions 6, 7, 10, and Caraga which are mostly in interior seas and with high population density
M

Region
are characterized with insignificant increase or with leveled-off or decreasing catch. The overfished
situation of Region 7 (central visayas) has been articulated by Prof. N. Armada of U.P. Visayasin his
report through the conduct of systematic study. Bohol (Panglao Island) which is part of Region 7 is
considered to be one area of the country which has the most diverse organisms of coals and coral-related
fish. However, there can be a situation in which there is high biodiversity and high biomass of organisms
within the protected coral reef areas but the fish biomass of coral-dependent commercial species outside
of the coral reef or in the open water can be very low due to overfishing.

4) The Pacific side around Bicol and Samar as well as Palawan are being utilized or potentials for
the deep-sea “payao” fishing projects. Sardines and tuna which are the top species caught and that
contributes to the slightly increasing trend in the marine fish production are caught in these areas where
deep-sea fishing projects are viable and can be made sustainable.

5) Mariculture highways have been declared in Palawanareas Samar-Leyte areas. In fact,

mariculture parks and sites have been established and declared already in certain areas and certain fish
cage projects using bangus as stocks have become successful technically and financially.

V. Conclusions and Recommendations

1. CRM of various types has been implemented in the Philippines and it is the central visayasregion
that has the most number of projects related to fish habitat management and fish stock management. But
the inadequacy of fishery regulatory measures and lack of alternative livelihood or income diversification
which is associated with lack of capability of the organized fisherfolkto engage in non-fishing but
fisheries-related livelihood development projects, the pressure on the fishery resources particularly in
poverty-stricken areas is very high. In fact, those fishery law enforcers coming from the ranks of small
fishers and not belonging to the authorities have been exposed to death threats and some have become
victims of killings as what happened not too long ago somewhere in Cebu.

2. The existence of different NGOs doing different approaches in CRM program implementation
adheres to the concept that there is more stability in diversity of approaches and methodologies which are
adaptable to the concrete conditions of the program areas. However, the CRM programs should adopt
the sustainable development principles that include gender development. Moreover, there should be a
realistic framework of operationalizationof CRM programs and project that focus on resolving the 4
strategic issues of poverty, political marginalization, environmental degradation, and business monopoly.

3. Since CRM programs are concerned on mobilizing the major stakeholders coming from the civil
society sector (e.g. NGOs and POs), government sector (e.g. LGU/LGA and their instrumentalities), and
business sector (e.g. investors on fisheries projects) to institutionalize CRM pursuant to RA 8550 of 1998
and LGC of 1991, priority should be given to capability building of the POs as well as the partner-
facilitator-NGOs and the LGUs-LGAs.

4. It has already been a practice that those implementing CRM programs are making evaluations of
the program implementation to be able to cull lessons and determine best practices for adoption in other
areas. This includes best practices in resolving the interrelated strategic issues through co-management
in fisheries resources, participatory and good governance, engagement in livelihood development
projects, and equity-driven business development, In the third world countries like the Philippines, the
CRM should focus on developing the capability of the POs in doing livelihood development projects like
mariculture projects (technical skills, project proposal making and accessing of funds, project
management and marketing, among others) whose tangible results and goal being realizable in the short-
term can enable, empower, and energize the POs to facilitate the process towards the realization of the
other interrelated goals of co-management in fisheries resources, participatory and good governance, and
equity-driven development.

5. Different CRM stakeholder-organizations have different tasks, roles and responsibilities, rights
and obligations, authorities and mandate based on their VMG, Constiand By-laws. When the different
stakeholders work together in accordance with their tasks, roles, etc. in implementing for example the
MFARMC as co-management body in fisheries resources and participatory good governance then the
institutional goal and program goal set by each of the stakeholder-organizations could be easily realized.
In reality however, the co-management in fisheries resource projects does not work well due to not well-
defined tasks, roles, etc as well as no clear accountability mechanisms pertaining to the partnership or
agreement related to co-management. The issue becomes complicated when the stakeholders become bias
because of vested interests. There is a need for the NGOs to facilitate the process of recognition,
acceptance, and actually doing and being accountable for the tasks, roles, etc when entering into co-
management scheme like the MFARMC and other management bodies the tasks, roles, etc.

6. The fisheries situation as is just part of the environmental degradation issue. But after
comprehensive analysis of the fisheries situation, the stakeholders working at the national level can be
able to identify priority areas and corresponding focus or strategies for CRM intervention. The national
NGOs like CERD and Tambuyog and others who are under the umbrella of NFR can be able to present
recommendations and measures to the government or BFAR to address the national fisheries issues and
problems, among these are as follows:

a. Regions 6, 7, 10, and CARAGA should exert more efforts in CRM in order to reverse the trend
towards overfishing. These regions have become the centers for CRM program and being located at
interior seas and having wide expanse of fish habitat like mangrove, seagrass, and corals, these areas
provide recruits (e.g. blue crabs and other commercial pelagic fish) to other distant areas like Regions 4-
B, 5, and 8. Mariculture projects should be encouraged in these areas so that the POs can become
energized in pursuing CRM.

b. Regions 4-B, 5, 8, 9, 12, and ARMM should expand its deepsea fishing projects like “payao”
towards the EEZ to ensure sustainable marine fish catch and guard the EEZ boundaries against poachers.
Regions 4-A (NCR), 6, and 7 which are overcapitalized should study the viability of utilizing certain
fishing vessels or disposing them for deep-sea “payao” fishing in Regions 4-B, 5, 8, 9, 12, and ARMM.
c. The establishment of mariculture highways in Palawanand Samar-Leyte will boost marine fishery
production. The government and BFAR should give priority to the organized fisherfolks active in CRM
in providing technical services and financial resources for mariculture projects, as well as post-harvest
facilities like fish landing, cold storage, and transportation.

d. Since addressing the issues related to Philippine marine fisheries entails Herculean tasks and that
the fisheries sector represent 26% of the total agricultural production and could further increase up to
more than 50% in the near future, there is a need for making BFAR a Department. The plan of making
BFAR an agency under DA does not jibe with the current realities that mariculture is becoming a sunshine
industry and that the Philippines is recognized as the aquaculture center in Southeast Asia and that the
Philippines needs to develop its deepsea tuna fishery by expanding and controlling its fishing grounds in
the Pacific Ocean side which is being exploited by foreign fishing vessels from developed countries
where the commercial fishers are provided subsidy.