Analysis and Opinion
By Juana Pilipinas
Despite being an archipelagic country with one of the world's longest coastlines (36,289 km) and total territorial water area of 2.2M km, the Philippines (PH) has been suffering from fish shortage. About 60 percent of PH provinces and towns are near the coast and home to approximately 2 million fisherfolk. A sustainable fish source is of utmost importance to PH. An average Filipino gets 50 percent of his/her protein from fish. Fish and seafood consumption among Filipinos has been declining over the years. The highest was 113 grams per person per day (1982), down to its lowest of 94 grams per person daily (2018-2019) because of fish scarcity and high prices at wet markets.
Municipal, commercial and aquaculture fishing yields had been decreasing since the 80's. There was a constant increase from 2008-2010 and a gradual decline in 2011-2018, creating a shortage necessitating government intervention through importation in 2018, during closed season and whenever the supply cannot meet the demand. For the past few years, a number of Chinese fishing vessels are often spotted swarming waters in Manila, Zambales and Palawan's exclusive economic zone. Filipinos joke that fish caught in PH waters are brought to China and then offered for sale to the PH government at a premium. About 70 percent of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) fishing grounds are currently overfished. National Task Force West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS ) stated that approximately 240,000 kilos of fish are taken illegally by Chinese fishermen everyday. Filipino fishermen reported harassment and intimidation while fishing at their old haunts by what appear to be China's civilian militia often escorted by China's Coast Guard fleet(s).
For 2024, PH will import 25,000 metric tons of fish particularly round scad, bigeye scad, mackerel, bonito, sardines, and tuna to fill local demand that cannot be supplied domestically during closed season (per FAO (Fisheries Administrative Order) No. 259) which will span from September 1, 2024 to January 30, 2025. All these fish species are readily available at the WPS during open season. Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) argued that importation is not beneficial to local fishermen especially to the wild capture sector because it pulls down the farm gate price of all marine products.
The PH fish and seafood market crisis stemmed from overfishing, ecosystem damage, unenforced regulation, spotty monitoring and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. Another problem is with poor post harvest practices that approximately 20 to 40 percent of all PH fish produce rot and go to waste. The market also faced the challenges of enhancing domestic production, promoting locally sourced products, and exploring new ways to increase yields to stop importation.
Mariculture refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of aquatic plants and animals in open seas, inshore on theEEZ or offshore on land in tanks and ponds filled with saltwater. Mariculture creates jobs, supports resilient working waterfronts and coastal communities, and provides new international trade opportunities. It can grow to complement wild fisheries to supplement and support fishing livelihoods. Farmed seafood products make up half of the world's seafood supply, but PH production lags behind much of the world. Doubling current production could result in tens of thousands of jobs in coastal communities. Mariculture could provide a domestic source of economically and environmentally sustainable seafood that will complement and support existing wild fisheries production.
Mariculture is not new to PH. It began in 1930s with oysters, then to mussels culture in 1950s and seaweed farming in the 1970s. It has progressed slowly each decade and had been seriously studied as an alternative to fish production due to the dwindling supply of wild caught fish species and as a preparation to the effects of global warming on the future of capture fishing. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) started experimenting with Mariculture Parks in 2011 off the coast of Samal Island, Davao del Norte with three fish cages stocked with milkfish fingerlings. The experiment was deemed a success that more Mariculture Parks were created in different PH seacoasts. Around 40 PH mariculture parks were on the record as of 2009. Eleven of them can be found on the coastal areas facing the WPS. These parks operate much like industrial estates on land, with investors setting up or renting fish cages to grow high-value marine species. Other fish species are also being explored particularly the Filipino staple fish, round scad (galungong), dubbed as the poor man's fish for its cheap price and year round availability. Attempts to farm round scad in the Philippines by Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) had been ongoing since the first broodstock was collected by researchers in Tigbauan, Iloilo and Hamtic, Antique. They successfully spawned galungong in captivity. They are also involved in mackerel tuna and slipper lobster research for mariculture.
The 11 PH Mariculture Parks in PH
Region I - La Union (2), Ilocos Sur(1), Pangasinan(1)
Region II - Cagayan (1)
Region III - Aurora (1)
Region IV-A - Quezon (2)
MIMAROPA - Romblon (1), Palawan(1), Mindoro Occidental (1)
WPS is very important to PH food security. Around 70 to 80 percent of the galunggong supplied to Metro Manila wet markets are caught in it. It is a migratory path for tuna and has a diverse ecosystem. Multitude of other fish, shellfish and marine plant species had been observed at WPS . World Bank has approved the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resilience Project (FISHCORE) loan on May 30, 2023 with a closing date of December 31, 2029. The total project cost is US$ 237.96 million and US$ 176.02 million had been disbursed. This project is poised to benefit millions of fishermen, small and medium-sized enterprenuers, and coastal communities through enhanced fisheries management, fish production growth, and increased incomes to coastal communities' residents.
Blue Ocean Mariculture( https://bofish.com ) is considered the American gold standard in cutting edge mariculture. It has a certification from Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and lauded for its environmentally sustainable and socially responsible practices. It raises kanpachi , a native Hawaiian amberjack, in deep-sea submersible net pens off the coast of Kona, Hawaii.
Researching and writing this article, I realized that PH already has a mariculture industry. I also found that there are eleven pre-existing mariculture parks in the WPS. Most of these parks though are seeded with milkfish juveniles. In my observation, there is already a local and global glut in the milkfish market. PH needs to diversify its fish species production. It needs to look into producing the fish it is importing (round scad, bigeye scad, mackerel, bonito, sardines, moonfish and tuna) until the domestic supply and demand reach an equilibrium. A diverse, sustainable and environmentally sound mariculture industry in WPS will be a boon for PH. There is nothing wrong with raising high value marine products for export but I believe that PH should aim for food security and self-sufficiency first. There's a gold mine of available studies that tell us what indigenous marine species thrive in the WPS. More efforts to spawn native fish species in captivity could give rise to a new and improved WPS mariculture industry. The funding is already available so this should be a cakewalk. Or is it?
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Cover Photograph generated by Word Press image maker using the article as a prompt.
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