Fisheries problem deserves serious attention

THE Philippines is full of ironies. Imagine an archipelago with more than 7,100 islands and a coastline longer than 36,000 kilometers not having enough fish for people to eat. But that just might be our future.

Earlier this week, Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala warned that it was “inevitable” for the Philippines to import fish in the future in order to meet domestic consumer demand. The backdrop to the dim forecast is the poor performance of the fisheries sector in 2011, when output fell 4.1 percent. Worse, the output also decreased in 2010 by 3.47 percent.

The future may now be upon us, though. The Philippines already imports fish, and the volume seems to be rising. In 2009, the country imported more than 291,600 metric tons of fish valued at $223 million. In the year before that, the volume of fishery imports exceeded 208,300 metric tons, which was valued at $195 million. Philippine fishery exports, meanwhile, seem to be in decline, from more than 205,200 metric tons in 2008 to about 196,500 metric tons in 2009.

One likely reason for the falling fish production may be overfishing. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has banned fishermen from 10 of the 13 major fishing areas precisely for that reason, according to reports. But the problem may be bigger than presently realized and should not be underestimated.

Fisheries is a vital sector of the Philippine economy. In 2009, fisheries contributed 2.2 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices, 4.4 percent at constant prices. People know that the Philippines is primarily agricultural based, but some may not realize that the fisheries sector is lumped with agriculture. In fact, fisheries comprise 15 percent of agriculture’s output at current prices, 24.5 percent at constant prices.

Also, the fisheries sector is a major source of jobs. More than 1.6 million fishery operators are registered in the Philippines, according to a 2002 census, the latest government data available. The number of people employed in that sector has likely increased since the census was taken.

So if Sec. Acala’s prediction comes true, consumers might find fish more expensive. Worse, an unknown large number of Filipinos will also lose their means of livelihood.

Better management of resources

To be fair, falling fish stock is a global problem, not just a domestic one. A 2003 report citing the journal Nature said that only 10 percent of all big fish, like tuna, swordfish and marlin, are left in the sea. Despite the global scope of the problem, the Philippines should act urgently because it is relatively more vulnerable as a developing economy.

First, more should be done to protect marine resources. But that does not seem to be a priority of the Aquino government. Consider that the budget for Bureau of Fisheries’ resource protection program is a measly P4.9 million. That is miserable, especially for this country that has the second-longest coastline in the world.

Again to be fair, the government is trying to do something. Fishing grounds have been closed as mentioned earlier, and other programs are in place. Plus in late 2011, the bureau of fisheries announced plans to plant 100 million mangrove trees in three years. We applaud that, but much more needs to be done. Since the 1950s, mangroves have been virtually wiped out by loggers and fishpond operators. Only recently did experts realize the value of mangroves – that they serve, among other things, as nurseries for fish.

The experts in fisheries and agriculture also need to look into more efficient use of fertilizers. As we have mentioned in this space before, some 49 percent of fertilizers used in the Philippines are washed out into the sea. The chemicals, which include nitrogen and phosphorous, degrade marine ecosystems, as well as the groundwater. In fact, one source reported that the annual opportunity-loss cost of pollution to the fisheries sector is about P17 billion.

Also, more needs to be done to educate fisher folk about sustainable fishing methods. To date, stories about destructive and dangerous fishing methods, like dynamite fishing, persist. As it is, fishermen and their families are among the poorest of the poor Filipinos. Using explosives suggests that they already feel desperate. But now, the outlook suggests something worse.

Outside the radar

Naturally, the local fishing sector is reacting badly to Sec. Alcala’s prediction on fish importation. Fishermen fear imports will make their already difficult situation worse. That is true, but the issue is bigger than the interests of one sector.

The issue is the grave consequences of neglecting our oceans – and for that matter, our other natural resources. At risk are food security and the economy itself. We assumed that the bounty of the sea was limitless. But we now realize that it is not. Fortunately, there is still time to do something about it.

First, national leaders and policymakers must realize that the problem exists. For now, though, the collective attention of Filipinos is focused on politics. Our leaders suffer from the same distraction.

Second, the government has to take meaningful action. More resources have to be allocated to revive and protect marine ecosystems. Alternative livelihood programs are needed not only for the survival of fisher folk for the duration of the fishing ban, but also to provide alternative means of income.

Like the fishermen, we are skeptical about policies that make us rely on imports. As we have seen with importing rice, such a remedy is prone to mischief and inefficiency. Granted, the decline of fisheries is a complex issue, one with no easy remedy.

But the first steps must be taken now. The nation’s leadership must give more serious attention to our problem of depleted fisheries. Policymakers must come up with solutions. And the administration must get the government machinery moving, in tandem with the private sector, to carry out the work that must be done. –Manila Times