Fishery in Philippines

Fishery Resources

In the Philippines

IntroductionThrough the ages, fishing has been

one of the earliest occupations known to man. It has grow from crude and simple beginning into a complex industry with modern equipment and installations. The commodities that man derived from the oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers are more numerous and varied than what is commonly known.

Fishery-all the activities connected with the

securing of animal and vegetable products from the earth waters.

Fishery products include such items as fish, clams, oysters, lobsters, eels, shrimps, turtles, seals, and whales. Pearl sponges, coral shells, and seaweeds are also included among the products derived from the sea.

Fish provides the protein which is needed in the human diet. Fisheries are perhaps the most poorly managed of all the natural resources. The unscientific assumption that man can never exhaust the resources of the sea has placed upon nature the entire responsibility for renewal and replenishment.

Genetic Industries -are those that develop plant and

animal resources by propagation and reproduction.

They replace the used materials with new ones through the industry of man.

Extractive Industries- are those which derive their raw

materials directly from nature.Among the most important of

these industries are mining, lumbering, grazing, fishing and hunting.

Fishing is an important Philippine industry. It ranks next to farming and livestock raising in providing the food requirements of the population. Fish comes next to rice as the staple food of the Filipinos. Fishing employs thousands and millions are dependent on the industry for their livelihood.

Fishing Grounds Fishing GroundsThe Sulu Sea along Palawan

waters is the most productive fishing of the country. The well-known fishing grounds of Estancia, Iloilo is within the influence of the Visayan Sea while Malampaya Sound lies on the northwestern waters of Palawan.

PRINCIPAL FISHING GROUNDS AND PRODUCTION

Fishing Grounds Production in tons1. Sulu Sea (along Palawan waters)

204,872,930

2. Visayan Sea 81,115,190

3. Malampaya Sound 22,884,0004. Manila Bay 18,113,4905. San Miguel Bay, (between Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur)

16,091,930

6. Sibuguey Bay, (south of Zamboanga del Sur)

9,847,370

7. Tayabas Bay, (south of Quezon) 9,819,5908. Moro Gulf, (between Zamboanga and Cotabato)

6,494,590

9. Lamon Bay, (east of Quezon and south of Polilio Island)

5,925,350

10. Samar Sea 4,868,310

LEADING PROVINCES IN FISHPOND DEVELOPMENT

Province Area in Has. Production in tons

1. Bulacan 16,172.15 14,555,4702. Iloilo 17,351.10 13,880,8803. Pampanga

9,208.92 8,288,030

4. Pangasinan

9,552.56 7,618,050

5. Capiz 11,240.22 6,744.130

LEADING PROVINCES WITH POTENTIAL FISHPOND SITES

Province Swampland available for development (hectares)

1. Northern Samar 113,3682. Agusan del Sur 44,561 3. Cotabato 58,5574. Palawan 21,6735. Davao del Norte 20,7156. Pampanga 20,685

Classification of Fisheries1. Inland FisheryThe inland waters of the Philippines include numerous fresh water streams, rivers, swamps, paddy fields, irrigation canals and ponds where fish and other fishery products are taken in sizeable quantities.Fish pens-serve as a refuge and breeding ground of the fish to sustain natural production in the lake -lake towns of Laguna and Batangas

-milkfish; catfish, goby, tilapia and tawes -1 hectare yields no less than 16,900 kg of

fish a year.

2. Coastal Fishery or inshore fishery -found everywhere along the

coastlines of the Philippines. -conducted within the three-

mile limit of the territorial waters

3. Deep Sea or Offshore Fishery -being done by commercial

fishing vessels which have a gross weight of more than three tons and are licensed by the Bureau of Fisheries.

Fish Production and Consumption In 1990, our exports of fishery products amounted to 143,049 metric ton while our imports amounted to 196,155 metric tons. This deficiency has caused the Philippines some valuable foreign ex-charge in the importation of canned fish, such as sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, squids, and other fish products.

To meet the persistent high fish requirements and to minimize the important of this commodity, the government has undertaken intensive efforts to boost the production. Measures that were undertaken include deep-sea fishing development fish pond expansion and oyster cultivation, fish stocking of inland waters and utilization of swamplands. Seaweeds farming-is being encouraged since seaweed has variety of uses and has great potential as an export product.

Problems of the Fishing IndustryThe fishing industry is beset with many

problems. Inspite of the fact that the Philippines has favorable conditions for the development of the fishery resources still up to now, we are importing fish products.

Foremost among these problems as cited by the Philippine Fisheries Commission are the following:1. Lack of technical know-how and technical manpower. To remedy this more vigorous programs should be put up to train technical manpower on fisheries.

2. Inadequate transportation, distribution and refrigeration , in the centers of production. The acquisition of these facilities should be fully supported by the government and private individuals who go into business should be given incentives.

3. Imbalance in exploitation effort. Fishermen’s cooperatives should be organized so that the capital and equipment may be used to utilize under exploited fishery resources and protect the over exploited areas.

4. Alarming increase of water pollution cases. The National Pollution Control Commission should be given more support by the government so that appropriate control measures can be enforced that will minimize the bad effects of water pollution in aquatic resources.

5. Difficult execution of management due to dual control of freshwater areas. A law or decree should be promulgated that will place under national control the fisheries of major lakes, rivers, and marshes of the country or at least all those whose areas exceed 1,000 hectares.

6. Inadequacy of fish seedlings. More national, provincial, and community fish nurseries should be established especially, in potential development areas throughout the country.

7. Financing. Financing institutions should extend liberal credit facilities for the development, expansion, and improvement of the fishing industry.

Fishery Resources and Economic DevelopmentFishery, together with agriculture, forestry, and mining forms the basis industry which supports our industrial civilization. Fish, together with rice, is the principal diet of the Filipino people. In the all out effort to increase food production, care should be taken to sustain the needs of the national economy. Fishery resources are not inexhaustible. Like the forests and the soils, if used abusively, the fishes will be depleted. Illegal fishing by the use of dynamites, and poisonous substances, should be stopped. Pollution of inland and coastal waters that destroy fish and other aquatic life should be avoided.

Overfishing with the use of finely woven nets should not be allowed so that small and young fishes would be given the chance to grow into marketable size before they are caught.Finally, to encourage private enterprise to go into deep-sea fishing, the government should extend liberal credit terms and sympathetic understanding on the problems of the industry. With the expansion and development of the fishery resources, the Philippines may eventually become a fish exporting country to contribute immensely to the economic development of the country.