International conservation group Oceana has estimated in a new study that the Philippine fisheries sector is in “freefall” as the country recorded an almost 600,000 metric ton decline in its national output from 2010 until 2023, blaming it on weak law enforcement and failed governance.
It emphasized that the supply loss has socioeconomic impact since fish remains the country’s primary source of protein, while more than 350,000 fishing families fell below the poverty line in 2023.
“This is a national food security emergency,” said Oceana vice president Von Hernandez. “Our fisheries are being emptied, and with them, the livelihoods and food sources of millions of Filipinos.”
He called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reverse the alarming supply trend by investigating and holding to account the government officials and vested interests responsible for this “gross neglect.”
He pointed out that government must ensure proper enforcement of science-based recovery measures as well as implementation of pertinent laws such as penalizing commercial fishing fleets in municipal waters.
One of the key findings of the study was that 88 percent of fish stocks nationwide are already overfished and depleted, with nationwide fish catch falling to 1.9 million MT in 2023 from 2.6 million MT in 2010.
“Our fishers are the ones putting food on our table, yet they are the ones going hungry and struggling from poverty,” Hernandez said, noting that 353,190 fishing families live below the poverty line while another 93,030 families are deemed food poor.
The declining catch also comes at a time when the Filipino fishermen are getting old, with the average now 49 to 52 years old. Oceana noted that younger Filipinos are abandoning the industry due to a paltry monthly income of P2,500 to P7,000.
It pointed out that the country has sufficient laws to curb overfishing and illegal fishing, but they must be properly implemented to safeguard small Filipino fisherfolk.
The humble Filipino fisherman and the fisheries sector has been ignored for too long, as government might have wrongly assumed that the resources they depend on are self-replenishing and infinite. But with the catch declining, and the future of fishing as a livelihood uncertain, it has been becoming more clear that the sector needs all the help it can get, especially with so many threats coming from all sides, external and internal.
Enforcement of current laws must pick up to ensure that stocks are protected and that fishing activities in this country are sustainable at all levels. If the laws are found wanting, amendments or new legislation needs to be advanced. An archipelago like the Philippines, which has been blessed with an extensive coastline and exclusive economic zones, should be a leader when it comes to championing fisheries.*
