Too Many Fishers Too Many Fishers --Not Enough FishNot Enough Fish

Will we be able to feed our children tomorrow?

Food security – assurance that all people at all times have access to stable, sustainable and predictable supply of nutritionally balanced food

Fish and Food SecurityFish and Food Security

Fish - vital to food security?

Yes Yes –– Very Important StapleVery Important Staple

Provides 50% of animal protein

Rural areas -80% of protein comes from fish caught in municipal waters

Highest quality, most efficiently produced complete protein in the world!

Why Fisheries Declining?Why Fisheries Declining?PATH’s research looked into:

Trends in fish production & availabilityPopulation and other pressures Policies and management systems Habitat and health conditions

Methods: Secondary data analysisPHE assessment - 5 municipalities(Candijay, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Busuanga)

Key FindingsKey Findings

Food fish production - lagging behind population growth

Emerging food security crisis in some coastal areas

Coastal communities are aware and worried

Fish will not be a staple much longer!

PHE Assessment ResultsPHE Assessment Results

Catch per Unit Effort Score

Total Fishers

Reef MI

Wasting in <3 yrs

FP Use Modern Methods

Unmet FP Demand

Busuanga 2.3 2.3 0.41 11% 15.7% 59%

Culion 2.0 3.3 0.39 29.2% 21.8% 36%

Cuyo/ Agutaya

3.3 2.3 0.44 54%

Dumaran 3.0 3.3 0.61 18% 24.0% 54%

Malnutrition rates is 2-4 times national averageMalnutrition associated with low catch rate, high total

fishers, high reef mortality and low rate of FP practice

WhatWhat’’s Driving Fisheries s Driving Fisheries Decline?Decline?

High population growthHigh fertility, lower mortalityMigration to coasts

No alternative employmentOver extraction Over fishing

Destructive fishing practiceHabitat destruction

Mangrove Resource Decline

Source: DENR/CRMP 2000

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

1970 1980 1988 1993 2000

000 hectare

Role of PopulationRole of PopulationDuring 1988-1996

Fish production staticPopulation expanded 14 million (2.5% pa)Net result = 20% decline capita fish availability since 1990Projected : additional decline of 20% by 2015

Source: DENR/CRMP:2000

Role of Policy & ManagementRole of Policy & Management

Open access regime - depleted fisheriesWeak enforcement of environmental laws – degraded habitats Non-compliance with mandate - pearl farms given preference over fishersPoor family planning program management - high birthrate

Implications Implications -- EquityEquity

Subsistence fishers -most effected

catching fewer and smaller fish each year

loosing access to pearl farm concessions

sinking deeper into poverty & malnutrition

Too Many MouthsNot Enough Fish

Implications Implications -- EnvironmentEnvironment

Declining quality and productivity of coastal ecosystems

Loss of:marine biodiversityprotective barrieraesthetic valuefish stock

Source: DENR/CRMP:2000

Implications Implications -- EconomyEconomy

Resource base supporting economic development in coast - collapsing

More households into poverty

Increasing health and nutrition costs

Loss of potential tourist revenues

Unrealized monetary values - of coastal resources

Will We be Able to Will We be Able to Feed Our Children Tomorrow?Feed Our Children Tomorrow?

Yes, but not fish!

Unless we act now

Actions To be TakenActions To be Taken

Strengthen family planningPromote role of LGUs as stewards of coastal resources to sustain food production and economic benefits Stop illegal fishingInvolve community in habitat protection and enforcement Create alternative livelihood for fishersEliminate inequities

Community Ready for FP?Community Ready for FP?

YES!High unmet demand for FP (36%-59% of women of reproductive age)

“Barangay may soon face crisis because there are too many people-if couples don’t practice FP there may not be enough fish to go around”(90%)

PATH/DRDF PHE Survey (2001)

Sustainable Development =3 E+Sustainable Development =3 E+

POPULATIONPOPULATION

EQUI

TY

EQUI

TYECONOM

Y

ECONOMY

ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT