To deeper waters

There may no longer be enough fish for us to eat – if no intervention is made to save our fisheries sector. Experts tell us that the country’s growing problems in fisheries have posted economic losses of about P420-million per year as a result of over fishing, degraded habitats, and a host of socio-economic, environmental and institutional problems.

Fortunately, a project aptly called FISH aims to tackle those fisheries problem. FISH, the acronym for Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest, a technical assistance project, is funded by the Untied States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in partnership with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) together with other government agencies.

A book which will be launched August 5, In Turbulent Seas: The Status of Philippine Marine Fisheries, profiles the fishery sector’s resources, management issues, and policies. The hefty volume is a concerted effort of some 78 scientists, fisheries experts, marine conservationists, academics and government authorities.

The book shows that fishery resources are badly depleted, translating to lower catch and income for already poor fishers. Illegal fishing activities have destroyed much of the habitat with more than half of the original 450,000 hectares of mangroves gone and a great percentage of Philippine coral reefs in poor condition.

The sector employs over 750,000 people in municipal and commercial fishing operations. But as fish stocks plummet, fishing effort and environmental pressure increase.

The experts say that for a burgeoning population that takes 22.4 per cent of its total protein (and 56 per cent of its animal protein) intake from fish, the bad state of Philippine marine fisheries spells floundering national nutrition as well. Filipinos have a recorded fish consumption of about 26.8 kg. per/capita/year.

The FISH project takes off from the Coastal Resources Management Project (CRMP), which brought the "I Love the Ocean Movement" and "Our Seas, Our Life" exhibits to cities in the country. While CRMP focused on coastal resources, FISH takes resource management to deeper waters.

Marciano F. Carreon III, CRM chief of party, says the book "marks a transition from coastal resources management to improving fisheries management. FISH works from the success of CRMP."

He says the FISH project aims to increase fish stocks by 10 per cent in 2010 in Calamianes Islands in Palawan; Danjon Bank in Bohol; Surigao del Sur, and Tawi-tawi. These sites suffer from intense fishing, illegal and destructive fishing methods, widespread poverty among fishers, endangered marine species, ineffective coastal laws and enforcement and regulation and degraded environments.

FISH policy specialist Geronimo T. Silvestre says that by increasing the fish stock, "You will see an improved fish catch which will raise the fishers’income." An interesting feature of FISH management policy which has been tested effective in some areas, is not allowing fishing in identified sea waters. That means fishermen avoid fishing in these areas – but only for a period of six months or one year. The surprise is that after the moratorium period is over, the fish stock has been replenished (with the fish mating and producing more offspring ) and the fish catch is good. Hard to believe, but this policy is working in some parts of the Philippines, where some intervention is being made.

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Tianges (wet markets) have become rather popular, with housewives, company executives, academicians, physicians and what have you, going to them for their meat and fish and vegetable supplies. Most of these fresh products are grown by small growers and farmers. The trouble is that these markets are open only on Sundays, or weekends. Now, here’s a store that offers organic produce – everyday. This is the Organic Producers Trade Association (OPTA) Coop, located at 69 Esteban Abada St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. This is beside the Peace and equity Foundation, which provided the site and improvements of the organic cooperative store.

The coop sells the products of members of OPTA, who are farmers, organic practitioners, consumers, academics, students, and professional pastors, NGOs, corporations, and government officials. The store’s shelves display and sell a wide range of products raised in Bukidnon, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Sorsogon, Batangas, Caite, and nearby towns. These include brown, red and black and polished white rice, tamarind, passion fruit juices; tea, soya milk, the yacon rootcrop, tofu, free-range chicken, vinegar, mascovado sugar, coffee, sauces, duhat wine, pili oil, cookies, honey, fruit jam, virgin coconut oil, herbal bath and laundry soaps and soil pesticides, soil conditioners, soil and foliar fertilizers, candies, pastries, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

OPTA’s mission, says President Rosalina Tan, is "to build sustainable communities through organic agriculture by providing responsible leadership, setting standards of organic integrity, and developing a new breed of millennium farms who hold sacred the sense of stewardship and mission to contribute to the quality of life for others."

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