Too few fish, too many mouths to feed

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.

              Global fisheries perspective

Table 1. FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

CORE PROBLEMS	CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
Loss of marine biodiversity Declining fish stocks Loss of revenues and benefits from fisheries and coastal resources	Overfishing Illegal and destructive fishing Coastal and habitat degradation Siltation and pollution Post-harvest losses Inefficient marketing
Inequitable distribution of benefits from fisheries and coastal resource uses	Open access Inter- and intra-sectoral conflicts Low awareness and participation in management Lack of employment/poverty among municipal fishers
Population growth	Low awareness of the implications of overpopulation and food security Lack of delivery mechanisms for reproductive health programs in rural coastal communities
Inconsistent policies and programs for sustainable fisheries	Continued investments in production-oriented programs Conflicting and fragmented national policies
Weak institutional and stakeholder capacity to plan and implement fisheries management	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
Lack of a constituency for sustainable fisheries	Low awareness and understanding of the implications of overfishing on food security and economic development Polarization of stakeholders over means to achieve sustainable fishing

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.

Philippine fisheries decline.

Sources:
     1. 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. 2000.