Sustainable Fisheries Management and Marine Conservation

Oceana Philippines Policy Brief

As a sea nation, the Philippines harbors a wealth of marine resources

that provides food and livelihood to millions of Filipinos. It ranks 14th in
the world as a source of seafood caught in the wild.

Despite recent improvements in fisheries law enforcement, however,

illegal fishing remains a huge problem. Commercial fishers continue to
enter and illegally fish in municipal waters in a lop-sided competition
with the artisanal fisherfolk for the declining fish stock, while foreign
fleets poach high-value species. Destructive fishing – such as bottom
trawl fishing, blast fishing and the capture of young fish before they
can grow into adulthood – is a significant threat to the health of fish
populations and the livelihood of fishing communities. The government
itself estimates that 75% of our principal fishing grounds are now considered overfished. Artisanal
fishers bring home fewer large fish, if they are lucky enough to catch any.

Reef fish have declined by up to 90 percent, leading to major losses in coastal economies. Recent data
also show that the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone has fish stocks depleted by as much as 90%, sea
grass beds destroyed by as much as 50%, and coral reefs degraded by as much as 96%, all in the past 50
years. Moreover, the destruction of large areas of important ocean habitats such as coral reefs can
result in lower incomes from fishing, reduced food production, higher disaster risk, and extreme
poverty. The urgency of the situation is compounded by the fact that the Philippines is one of the most
vulnerable countries to the deleterious effects of climate change such as sea level rise, storm surges and
displacement of coastal residents.

These adverse impacts can be minimized through marine conservation, habitat protection and
sustainable fisheries and adoption of the ecosystem-based approach enacted into national and local
policies that are fully implemented. But, weak enforcement of our fisheries and environmental laws is
another big challenge to surmount.

In this archipelago of more than 7,500 islands, the people’s way of life is closely connected to the sea.
The country’s highly productive fisheries, if managed sustainably, can feed the growing Philippine
population and achieve economic growth and security. As such, we must enact and fully implement laws
and policies to restore the abundance of our oceans.

Sustainable Fisheries as Key to Food Security

Healthy aquatic ecosystems contribute greatly to food security. Worldwide, fish provides essential
nutrition for 3 billion people and contribute a significant amount of animal protein to the diets of the
population. In the Philippines, it is estimated that 56% of Filipinos’ animal protein comes from fish, and
91% of fish caught in-country are consumed domestically. Not only is fish a vital food source, it also
provides livelihood for millions of Filipinos, with the Philippines taking a growing share in the
international trade in fish and fishery products. Considering the importance of the fisheries sector in
feeding our nation and achieving economic growth, the sustainable management of our fisheries
resources is therefore essential.

Healthy Oceans for Climate Change Adaptation

Oceans provide the very air we breathe and are the

earth’s main buffer to climate change. From 2000 to
2007, our seas removed around 25% of atmospheric
carbon dioxide emitted by human activities. They
absorb more than 95% of the sun’s radiation, making air
temperatures tolerable for life on land, and provide 85%
of the water vapor in the atmosphere, regulating the
climate on land and sea. Evidently, ocean health
influences the capacity of oceans to absorb carbon.

The problem is even more pressing now as the country

deals with the adverse effects of climate change. Culturally and economically important fish such as
sardines are highly sensitive to changes in ocean conditions. Coastal communities and fisherfolk are
especially affected by climate change impacts such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, droughts and
floods. As it stands, it is clear that artisanal fisherfolk, the country’s poorest of the poor, will bear the full
force of these impacts through less stable livelihoods and heightened disaster risk in coastal
communities, and possibly displacement from their traditional fishing grounds.

Fisheries are economically, culturally, socially and ecologically important to all Filipinos, and the
productivity of our fisheries is closely tied to the health of coastal ecosystems - coral reefs, mangroves
and sea grass beds being particularly important. However, these resources are under heavy pressure as
evidenced by the declining fish catch, size and species composition around the country. Fishers now
spend more time at sea for smaller yields. A small-scale fisher who used to catch more than 40
kilograms of fish per day can now expect to catch just three kilograms with the same amount of effort.
Overfishing, illegal fishing and habitat destruction combined with the increased demand for fish and
population growth continue to drive fisheries production down to the point that natural fish populations
may be unable to recover. As such, the current condition of fisheries in the Philippines and worldwide is
bleak.

Considering the fact that the Philippines supports a rapidly increasing population reliant on marine
resources, the sustainable management of our fisheries should be a main agenda of our government.

Stronger Legal Framework under the Amended Fisheries Code (Republic Act 10654)

Due to decades of over-exploitation and rampant illegal fishing, the Fisheries Code was amended by
Republic Act (RA) 10654 in January, 2015, strengthening the protection and promoting the sustainability
of our fisheries. RA 10654 seeks to “prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated”
or IUU fishing in the country. The new law includes higher deterrent penalties, speedier adjudication,
and stronger measures for conservation and monitoring. These measures, such as vessel monitoring,
harvest control rules, and stricter traceability rules, are sought turn around the critical decline in our
fisheries health. For instance, requiring vessel monitoring for all commercial vessels, to track and
monitor their position, course and speed for the purpose of fisheries management is especially
important within municipal waters and in marine protected areas, where commercial fishers are
prohibited to fish. These substantial amendments to the Fisheries Code give our country a better chance
of rebuilding fish stocks and allow for a more rational approach for fish catch production.

Necessity for Stronger Enforcement of the Law

The Philippines has good laws on paper but has been lacking in enforcement. While the country has
been going along the right direction in terms of reforms, it is crucial that there is political will for proper
implementation of the law to ensure food security and economic growth in the long term.

The strengthened enforcement of the law to

stop illegal commercial fishing is particularly
important and can serve as a deterrence to
crimes. This has been proven to be possible in
certain areas, given strong political will and
support from government and the communities.
In Tañon Strait Protected Seascape (TSPS), the
largest marine protected area in our country,
efforts that seek to end the encroachment of
commercial fishing vessels within the protected
area through regular sea-borne patrols, inter-
agency collaboration, apprehension of fishing
vessels and filing of cases against violators are
now starting to bear fruit.

Other laws and regulations that need to be fully implemented are the nationwide ban on modified
Danish seine, known as ‘hulbot hulbot’ and dynamite fishing. For blast fishing alone, the Bureau of
Fisheries estimates that there are 10,000 incidents every day, resulting in the daily loss of 240 million
pesos worth of sardine fisheries alone, and the appalling destruction of our rapidly declining coral cover
and marine ecosystems. The prevalence of illegal dump-and-fill or “reclamation” projects is also another
glaring ecologically disastrous activity usually undertaken in highly vulnerable or biodiversity rich areas
without proper compliance with the requirements of the law, and almost often without the essential
development road map such as an updated comprehensive land use plan which integrates the impacts
of climate change.

Habitat Protection for the Future Generations of Filipinos

The Philippines is in the apex of the Coral Triangle, known for its astounding diversity of coral reefs and
wildlife. Though numerous marine protected areas have been established to protect these resources,
most are considered mere “paper parks” with little to no enforcement or management.

Aside from protecting important ecosystems and habitats, protected areas are necessary in order to
feed our growing population. Scientific studies prove that properly managed marine protected areas all
over the world result in dramatic increases in spawning stocks, and that fish in marine protected areas
live longer, grow larger and produce more eggs. Furthermore, we need protected areas for our survival
in the face of climate change, as these places promote ecosystems resiliency and mitigate disaster risk.
Thus, our protected areas should be given the highest protection they deserve, to ensure that our
national heritage will still be around for the future generations of Filipinos.

Habitat protection is also essential to safeguard the sustainability of our fisheries resources.
Intervention in sardines fisheries management has shown that although supply has declined, science-
based rules and regulations have resulted in improved fish catch. This proves that policy reform can
provide economically feasible and socially acceptable solutions to environmental problems. As such,
science-based policies should be enacted and replicated in all our fishing grounds and territories, to
achieve long-lasting solutions to our fisheries management problems.

---

Political authorities need to consult with the various

fisheries stakeholders on the issues that are still
unresolved, and provide clear and time bound
platforms on fisheries management and with
sustainable fisheries management as a critical pillar of
their electoral agenda. We are all reliant on the oceans
for food, work, oxygen, and ultimately life. We must
commit to bringing in a new era of sustainable fishing to
Philippines waters. The oceans are our shared life
support and shared responsibility. Only together can
we move forward to save our oceans, now in deep
crisis.

Sources:

“Oceana in the Philippines”, A Primer

“Oceana Philippines Aims to Curb Oversfishing and Rebuilding Stocks”, Oceana. Retrieved at: http://oceana.org/news-media/press-
center/press-releases/oceana-launches-in-the-philippines-aims-to-curb-overfishing-and-rebuild-stocks
“Oceana Proposal for Marine Protected Areas”, Oceana. Retrieved at: http://oceana.org/reports/oceana-proposal-marine-protected-areas
“Fisheries in the Philippines”, Fish Forever. Retrieved at http://www.fishforever.org/where/philippines/#.VuqvCeaTQ70
Reclaiming the People’s Right to a Balance and Healthful Ecology. Written by Senator Cynthia Villar. Retrieved at:
http://www.philstar.com/letters-editor/2013/10/19/1246883/reclaiming-peoples-right-balanced-and-healthful-ecology
“Fisheries and Aquaculture in Our Changing Climate” United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Retrieved at:
http://www.unep.org/ecosystemmanagement/Portals/7/Documents/policy_brief_EM-MCE-CC-Fisheries.pdf
“Fish and Food Security”, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations. Retrieved at: http://www.fao.org/focus/e/fisheries/intro.htm
“The Philippine Fisheries Situation”, Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest Project. Retrieved at:
http://oneocean.org/fish/the_philippine_fisheries_situation.html
 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
We look forward to seeing the leaders of our nation
continue to take on measures to restore the health,
richness and abundance of the Philippine oceans by
working closely with local governments, civil
society, academics, fishers and people’s
organizations. As we recognize that the health and
productivity of our oceans are in peril due to
decades of over-extraction, over-exploitation, and
rampant Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
fishing (IUUF) caused by weak governance, we need
to craft and implement our strong laws and policies
that will address these problems and build long
lasting solutions to rebuild our fisheries.

When we save the oceans, we feed the world. Proper management and conservation of our natural
resources will guarantee the sustainability of our fisheries, ensure food security, and drive economic
growth in the coming years.

For the next set of leaders who will steer our country towards responsible and sustainable fisheries
management, we have the following policy recommendations:

1. Establishment of more marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs protect fish spawning habitats
and boost productivity of our waters. Several scientific studies provide proof of the successes of
MPAs in enhancing biodiversity and benefiting sea life. Areas facing reduced pressure, where
fishing has been banned or restricted, have healthier communities and often host fish that are
significantly bigger and more plentiful than in the areas outside reserves. As fish get bigger in a
protected area, productivity increases and creates a spillover effect into surrounding areas
leading to bigger catches in these neighboring areas. 1 Furthermore, at least fifteen percent
(15%) of the total coastal areas in each municipality are required to be identified and
automatically designated as fish sanctuaries by the LGUs 2 pursuant to the Fisheries Code, a
requirement that should now be complied with to ensure the sustainability of our resources and
the livelihood of our fisherfolk.

2. End commercial fishing in protected areas and municipal waters. Government must end the
encroachment of commercial fishing vessels within protected areas and municipal waters as
they wreak havoc to the valuable ecosystems and destroy spawning habitats for fish.
Furthermore, one of the causes of the continuing high poverty rates in our coastal communities
and among fisherfolk is due to the declining fish catch brought about by the illegal exploitation
of commercial fishers in municipal waters, which deprive artisanal fisherfolk of their day’s catch
and livelihood.

3. Science-based policies. Harvest control rules are sets of well-defined rules used to determine
allowable fishing effort and ensure sustainable catch limits. There is an urgent need for the

1
“Oceana Proposal for Marine Protected Areas”, Oceana. Retrieved at: http://oceana.org/reports/oceana-proposal-marine-protected-areas
2
Section 81. Fish Refuge and Sanctuaries. Fisheries Code of the Philippines (Republic Act 8550), as amended by RA 10654
 formulation and implementation of strong harvest policies to allow government to act swiftly
under certain standards to ensure that harvest does not exceed any acceptable limits. These
rules ensure the sustainability of the resource and the consistent supply of fish to our markets.
In the process of crafting these rules,
scientific advisory groups must be formed
composed of experts from government,
academic, research institutions and fisheries
policy organizations to provide science
based policy recommendations to fisheries
management decision makers. Moreover,
the government should develop a national
decommissioning program based on harvest
control rules for all destructive, illegal and
overly-extractive fishing vessels.

4. Strengthening institutions. There is a need to strengthen enforcement agencies and capacitate

their personnel with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively implement the law,
including empowering the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMCs) to
be fully functional to support sustainable management policies. Government agencies should
also provide strong technical support to stakeholders and LGUs to ensure that local
communities and personnel have the necessary skills and technical capacity to implement
environmental laws and to properly manage the resources in their municipal waters. This will
also enable stakeholders to avail of the legal remedies under our environmental laws that allow
for faster prosecution for violators and which promote public participation in resource
management. Conversely, the judicial system must also be strengthened to prosecute violators
of environmental and fisheries law and ensure that impunity will not be tolerated.

5. Traceability. To ensure that all seafood we consume are legally and sustainably caught, publicly
verifiable traceability policy must be put in place for all fisheries products, for both domestic and
international markets.

6. End dynamite fishing. This highly destructive practice can be eliminated through policies such as
restricting and implementing the regulation on ammonium nitrate, the active ingredient in blast
fishing explosives. This restriction, coupled with strengthened community-based enforcement
activities, will catalyze the end to this ecologically destructive and dangerous practice. Market
denial policies will also help deter blast fishing, with government intensifying efforts on getting
markets to enact policies to ensure that fish sold in their markets are not caught by explosives.
As there is an urgent need to stop this activity, a task force in the executive department should
be constituted to make sure that this illegal practice is addressed at the soonest possible time.

7. Creation of a Department of Ocean Affairs or Department of Fisheries. As an archipelago, it is

high time a department-level government agency focused solely on ocean concerns is
established. This department will focus on the management and conservation of our natural
resources, and will strengthen the enforcement and regulatory functions in order for the
government to effectively manage our coastal and marine resources and protect the livelihood
of the fisherfolk, the poorest of the poor in the country. Being a nation that is highly dependent
on our seas, it is but proper to give more attention to these matters through a higher authority
which is part of the decision-makers in the cabinet of the President.
8. Full implementation of the Fisheries
Code, as amended (Republic Act 10654).
With the strong measure under the
newly amended Fisheries Code, the
Philippines is on its way towards a
sustainable path. As such, provisions of
the law that include deterrent penalties,
vessel monitoring system, harvest
control rules, and strong traceability
measures must be fully implemented to
give effect to the law and achieve our
goals of food security and economic
growth. In the process, stakeholders must be encouraged to be involved in crafting the next
steps of the amended Code’s implementation, which include refining the procedural rules for
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ Administrative Adjudication board, rules on vessel
monitoring measures and other key fisheries management policies in the new IRR that are yet to
be studied.

9. Ban destructive fishing gear. Destructive fishing gears and practices devastate the marine
environment and cause irreversible damage to our ecosystems. One of the most harmful
techniques is bottom trawling, a fishing method which uses enormous nets that are dragged
along the sea floor, crushing everything in their way. Bans on other destructive gear (e.g. hulbot
hulbot or Modified Danish seine) and practices (e.g. muro-ami, kayakas) should also be strictly
enforced so that violators are prosecuted. These destructive practices must end for marine
ecosystems to start rebuilding and for Philippine fisheries to flourish.

10. Prevent the destruction of coastal habitats and unplanned coastal development projects.
Sensitive and interconnected marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, sea grass beds and
mangroves are destroyed and dumped filling materials due to destructive industrial activities
such as dump-and-fill or “reclamation” projects. National government agencies and LGUs must
therefore exercise their legal authority to prevent dumping and filling projects which do not
comply with the requirements of a national law and plebiscite before any substantial alteration
of territorial boundaries take place, in addition to a thorough assessment of its environmental
impacts and heritage and climate impacts. Moreover, these projects should comply with the
stringent requirements of various laws before any application to be considered. In this regard,
there is a need to strengthen the Environmental Impact Statement System (EISS) of the
Philippines to safeguard the environment in the face of growing industrialization and
urbanization. Moreover, the local government units must be strictly required to adopt an
integrated comprehensive land use plan that uses the ecosystem based approach.

11. Vessel Monitoring Measures for all Commercial Fishing Vessels. Vessel monitoring measure
(VMM) is a means, method or system used to track and monitor the position, course and speed
of the vessels at any given time for the purpose of management of fishing effort and fisheries
resources and for traceability. Although government has crafted a schedule for the requirement
of the use of vessel monitoring mechanism for commercial fishing vessels, these are yet to be
fully implemented and effectively enforced. Mandatory VMM use will result in better
deterrence against the operations of commercial fishing vessels in protected areas and
municipal waters, where they are not allowed to operate. These measures ensure that
commercial fishing vessels can be monitored and apprehended for any violation of the law. With
a VMM in place, there must also be a mechanism to facilitate the sharing and use of information
between the government and LGUs on Vessel Monitoring Measures (VMM), to allow LGUs and
other law enforcement agencies/bodies to effectively implement the law and apprehend
violators.
About Oceana Philippines
Founded in 2001, Oceana is the largest international advocacy
organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans on a
global scale. Oceana campaigns in the countries that control nearly 40
percent of the world’s wild fish catch in order to win policy victories that
can increase biodiversity in our oceans and deliver more seafood to the
future. Oceana’s efforts focus on rebuilding ocean fisheries, securing
seafood for a growing world, protecting marine wildlife and special places,
and stopping ocean pollution.

The Philippine branch of Oceana was established in 2014 to promote

national policies that protect and sustain the country’s vast marine
resources. We utilize polices and laws to ensure that fish and fishers
receive the protection they deserve. We extend our scientific expertise to
help establish sustainable catch limits, reduce by catch, and protect spawning habitats. We educate the
public on the importance of healthy oceans and its vital role as a source of food, livelihood, and life.

Oceana Philippines seeks to restore the health, richness, and abundance of the Philippine oceans. By
working closely with civil society, academics, fishers and government, Oceana Philippines promotes the
use of science-based policies to help ensure sustainable fisheries and vibrant marine ecosystems for the
benefit of the Filipino people.

Save the oceans. Feed the world.

For more details on our campaigns, you may contact the following:

Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Vice President

[email protected], 09176595609

Atty. Edward Lorenzo, Legal and Policy Director

[email protected], 09176378176

Atty. Roger Joseph Guzman, Legal and Policy Associate

[email protected], 09176595634