The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Bfar) needs the support of local communities and the expertise of people in other government agencies, regional organizations and nongovernment organizations in managing marine ecosystems that support fisheries, according to Senator Cynthia Villar.
Addressing the Department of Agriculture-Bar 3rd Fisheries Management Area Summit held in Cebu City last March 14, Villar said fisheries management is “crucial to ensure that fishing activities are conducted in a way that minimizes detrimental impact on fish stocks and ecosystems.”
Recognizing the threat of overfishing to all nations if left unabated, the senator expressed concern that “it will make deserts out of our oceans in 2050.”
Villar also warned “it will mean a collapse of the fishing sector as a source of livelihood.”
In supporting the fishery sector, the lawmaker pushed for the passage of Republic Act (RA) 10654 which amended RA 8550 (Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998) on February 27, 2015.
The amended law also sanctions illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF) but imposed higher penalties.
Villar said, “the amended law states that it is now unlawful to fish or take, catch, gather, sell, purchase, possess, transport, export, forward or ship out aquatic species listed by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.”
“The law also puts the Philippine fishing legislation at par with other countries, especially the conservation of threatened aquatic species, straddling and highly migratory species, and other marine resources.”
Moreover, it ensures that the management of fishery and aquatic resources is anchored on eco-system based approach in fishing.
Citing figures from Bfar, Villar said the Philippines is one of the top 10 fish and seafood producers in the world for several years, accounting for 4.42 million tons of fish production in 2019.
Out of the its fish production of 4.42 million metric tons (MMT), around 10.5 percent goes to export while 89.5 percent goes to local consumption and other usage.
Local fisheries production in 2023 slipped by 1.8 percent to 4.26 MMT from 4.34 MMT in 2022 as catch by both commercial and municipal fishers declined, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Domestic aquaculture, which was the lone subsector that grew during the period, expanded its output by 1.5 percent on an annual basis to 2.38 MMT. It contributed the biggest share of 56 percent to the total fisheries production in 2023.
Image credits: www.da.gov.ph