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Fisheries Country Profile: Philippines

by Mr. Napoleon Salvador J. Lamarca

2017 Regional Fisheries Policy Network (RFPN) Member for the Philippines

INTRODUCTION

The Philippines is an archipelago that consists of 7,641 islands with a total land
area of 301,000 km2. The total area of marine waters including EEZ is 2,200,000
km2 and the total length of its coastlines is 36,289 km. The country’s shelf and
coral reef areas cover 18.46 million ha and 2.7 million ha, respectively (Figure 1)
(BFAR, 2011).

Figure 1. Map of the Philippines

Source: FAOSTAT, 2018

The Philippines sits at the heart of the coral triangle, which is the global center
of marine biodiversity (Carpenter and Springer, 2005). About halfway between the
provinces of Batangas and Mindoro, the Verde Island Passage boasts the highest
concentration of marine species in the planet. Studies showed that its reefs are
home to nearly 60% of the world’s known fishes, as well as over 300 species of
corals (Figure 2).

Figure 2. The coral triangle

Source: Carpenter and Springer, 2005

In 2017, the Philippines had a population of about 103 million, and mean per capita
consumption of fish and fishery products of 40 kg/year or 109 grams/day with the
percent of fish and fishery products intake to the total intake at 12.8%. In 2015,
the fishing industry contributed 1.5% and 1.7% at current and constant prices,
respectively, to the country’s gross domestic products (GDP) with the fisheries
sector providing employment to over 1.6 million people, 85% of whom were from the
municipal fisheries and 1% from commercial fisheries, while the aquaculture sector
employed 14%.

However, the state of the country’s resources in municipal waters is lightly to

heavily exploited and overfished. Also, the mangrove resources have already
declined, and overfishing brought about by increased number of fishers and the open
access to fisheries is common to both municipal and commercial fisheries.
Commercial fishing boats continue operating in municipal waters that cause
conflicts among resource users. The use of destructive fishing methods
(e.g. dynamite and cyanide fishing, and the use of fine mesh net fishing gear) had
contributed to the rapid decline of fish stocks and habitat degradation. Recently,
issues on bycatch and discards in trawl and other fisheries have also been
considered as threat to the country’s fisheries sustainability.

The fisheries sector is classified into capture fisheries and aquaculture, where
capture fisheries is subdivided into municipal, commercial, and inland fisheries.
As defined under Republic Act (RA) 8550 otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries
Code of 1998 and as amended by RA 10654, municipal fisheries is traditional,
artisanal, subsistence or small-scale fisheries that involves the use of vessels 3
gross tons (GT) or less as well as fishing operations that do not use fishing boats
while commercial fisheries include all fishing operations that use vessels of over
3.1 GT. Inland fisheries operate in enclosed freshwater areas such as lakes and
reservoirs using vessels of 3 GT or less. The country has almost 500,000 ha of
inland bodies of water, comprising 246,000 ha of swamp lands, 200,000 ha of lakes,
31,000 ha of rivers, and 19,000 ha of reservoirs.

Commercial fishing is classified into: a) small scale – making use of passive or

active gear and utilizing fishing vessels of 3.1-20 GT; b) medium scale – utilizing
active gears and vessels of 20.1-150 GT; and c) large scale – utilizing active
gears and vessels of more than 150 GT. Commercial fishing vessels are required to
fish outside municipal waters, which is beyond 15 km off the shoreline and are
required to secure commercial fishing vessel license (CFVL) from the Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which is subject to renewal every three
years.

STATUS AND TREND OF FISHERIES PRODUCTION

Total Fish Production

The Philippines is one of the top fish producing countries in the world. The total
volume of fisheries production in the Philippines in 2015 reached 4.65 million MT
with the total value of US$ 7.26 billion (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Total fisheries production of the Philippines in 2011-2015

by quantity (MT) and value (US$ 1,000)
Source: BAS, 2013; BAS, 2015

Capture Fisheries

Municipal Fisheries

The country’s municipal fisheries contributed 1.01 million MT or 21.7% of the total
fish production in 2015 (Figure 4). Indian sardine contributed 7%, followed by
round scad and frigate tuna, at 6% each, while anchovies, Indian mackerel,
yellowfin tuna, fimbriated sardine, and squid, at 4% each; and slipmouth and big-
eye tuna contributed 3% and 1%, respectively. Other species provided 57% to the
total marine fisheries production from municipal fisheries (Figure 5).

Figure 4. Municipal fisheries production of the Philippines in 2011-2015 by

quantity (MT)
Source: BAS, 2013; BAS, 2015Figure 5. Proportion of major species from municipal
fisheries production in the Philippines in 2015

In 2017, the total number of registered municipal fishing vessels was 247,146 in
all regions of the country (Figure 6). Of the total registered municipal fishing
vessels, 157,494 units (64%) are motorized while 89,652 units (37%) are non-
motorized. In 2016, the total number of registered municipal fishing gears was
32,482 units (Figure 7). The common fishing gears used in municipal fisheries are
gillnets, hook and line, traps/pots, cast nets, beach seine, and fish corral.

Figure 6. Philippine map showing the different regionsFigure 7. Number of

registered municipal fishing vessels (2017)
and fishing gears (2016) in the Philippines by regionCommercial Fisheries

In 2015, commercial fisheries contributed 1.08 million MT or 23.3% to the country’s

total fisheries production (Figure 8). Indian sardine contributed the most, 217,758
MT or 20%. Skipjack provided 199,152.50 MT (18%), followed by round scad and
yellowfin tuna that contributed 164,443.04 MT (15%) and 102,400.30 metric tons
(10%), respectively (Figure 9).

Figure 8. Commercial fisheries production of the Philippines in 2011-2015 by

quantity (MT million)
Source: BAS, 2013; BAS, 2015Figure 9. Proportion of important species from
commercial fisheries production
in the Philippines in 2015
Source: BAS, 2013; BAS, 2015

In 2016, the country’s total number of commercial fishing fleet comprised 3,473
vessels that were licensed by BFAR. The major commercial fishing gears used are
ring net, trawl, handline, purse seine, bag net, and longline (Figure 10).

Figure 10. Number of registered commercial fishing vessels in the Philippines

in 2016 by size and type of fishing gears
Source: BAS, 2013; BAS, 2015Inland Capture Fisheries

The country’s inland capture fisheries contributed 204,733.99 MT or 4.4% to the

total fisheries production in 2015 (Figure 11). The bulk of the catch came from
Laguna Bay, Lake Lanao, and Taal Lake that cover 74% of the country’s total area of
lakes. Finfish, mollusks, and crustaceans constitute 67%, 28%, and 5% of the inland
capture fisheries total catch, respectively (Figure 12). The fishing gears and
methods used in inland waters are usually simple types such as cover pot, fish
trap, lift net, fish trap, pole-and-line, push net, skimming net, cover net,
gillnet, dredge, cast net, among others

Figure 11. Inland capture fisheries production of the Philippines in 2011-2015 by

quantity (MT)
Source: BAS, 2013; BAS, 2015Figure 12. Proportion of major species from inland
capture fisheries production
in the Philippines in 2015
Source: BAS, 2013; BAS, 2015

Aquaculture

Philippine aquaculture has strong potential for further expansion and development
in view of the availability of vast resources (338,393 ha of swampland, 14,531 ha
of freshwater fishponds, 239,323 ha of brackishwater fishponds, 200,000 ha of
lakes, 31,000 ha of rivers, and 19,000 ha of reservoirs). In the Philippines,
aquaculture is categorized according to environment, farming system, farming
technology, and production.

Out of the total volume of fish production in 2015, the aquaculture sector
contributed the most at 2.35 million MT or 50.4% (Figure 13). In 2015, out of the
total aquaculture production, seaweeds contributed the most at 67%, while milkfish
provided 16%, followed by tilapia at 11%, and shrimp/prawn at 2% (Figure 14).

Figure 13. Aquaculture production of the Philippines in 2011-2015 by quantity (MT)

Figure 14. Proportion of major species from aquaculture production in the
Philippines in 2015

FISH UTILIZATION

The country’s fish catch are sold in local markets although significant portion
especially shrimps are shipped to Manila or other urban areas. Around 70% of the
catch is consumed fresh or chilled, while 30% is processed (cured, canned, frozen
products or disposed of live). The bulk of cured fish and fishery products are
consumed locally, while only a small quantity is exported as ethnic products.

Fish drying is the most common form of processing particularly the smaller size
species caught by commercial trawlers. Smoked and salted fish are also to a lesser
extent, prepared in various forms for selected species like the anchovies. Canned
products, particularly tuna, are consumed locally in smaller quantities compared
with the export volume, and most of the frozen products are meant for export.

Trash fish or bycatch locally known as “rejects” from trawl is an important feed
component in the aquaculture of high value species like grouper, sea bass, and mud
crab for fattening, and fed as fresh whole or in chopped form. Also used as raw
materials in the preparation of local fishmeal, trash fish is most of the time
handled onboard without any preservation or icing. Those that are caught from short
fishing trips (usually overnight) are often of better quality and are commonly used
for human consumption (fresh or dried). Trash fish caught from longer fishing trips
are normally sold fresh or dried to be used as feeds for aquaculture and swine, and
as raw materials in fish/feed meal manufacturing plants.

FISH TRADE

Tuna remained as the country’s top export commodity with a volume of 97,815 MT as
fresh/chilled/frozen, smoked/dried, and canned tuna products valued at US$ 231
million. The three major export commodities (tuna, seaweeds, shrimp/prawn) combined
account for 63% (153,667 MT) of the total export volume (226,821 MT) and 58% (US$
531,333 million) of the total export value of US$ 909 million. Other exported major
fishery products, e.g. crabs, crab fats, octopus, grouper, cuttlefish, squid,
ornamental fish, round scad, and sea cucumber constitute 21% or US$ 189 million of
the total export revenues. The other commodities accounted for the remaining 21% of
the total export value. In terms of value, the major destinations of Philippine
fishery products are USA (24%), Japan (13%), Hong Kong (9%), Germany (6%), China
(4.8%), Taiwan (3.7%), UK (3.6%), Spain (3.3%), Netherlands (2.1%), South Korea
(1.9%), and others (28%).

In 2015, the country’s fishery imports originated from the following major
countries in terms of value: China (24%), Vietnam (13%), Papua New Guinea (13%),
Taiwan (12%), Korea (8%), Japan (6%), USA (4%), Norway (3%), Indonesia (2%),
Denmark (1%), and other countries (18%). Fifty-two percent of the total import
value was contributed by the three major commodities: 62% chilled/frozen fish, 1.8%
prawn feeds; as well as flour, meals and pellets of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks
fit and unfit for human consumption, 3.2%. These commodities have an aggregated
value of US$ 275 million out of the US$ 414 million total import value.

FISHERIES POLICIES AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS

National Policies

Through BFAR, the present administration focuses on the five-year Fisheries

Development Plan 2016-2020, which ensures that all interventions are holistic and
coordinated to achieve food security and inclusive growth. The plan also aims to
enhance the governance of marine resources and strengthen the law enforcement,
particularly for the Local Government Units to guarantee resource sustainability.
Moreover, the plan implements measures that warrant resiliency to environmental and
climate hazards, and also aims to develop the full potentials of aquaculture to
increase production and reduce post-harvest losses, making sure that international
standards are complied with in order to bring in revenue from products exported to
major international markets.

The Republic Act (RA) 10654 amending the Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 8550) sets out
the general framework for managing the country’s fisheries sector with the BFAR as
leading government agency responsible for conservation and management of fishery
resources beyond municipal waters.The Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160)
provides the local government units (municipal and city governments) the
jurisdiction and responsibility to manage the fisheries within their jurisdiction
(municipal waters within 15 km from the shoreline), and grants preferential use of
municipal waters to municipal or small-scale fishers.The Agriculture and Fisheries
Modernization Act of 1997 (RA 8435) sets out measures to modernize the fisheries
sector particularly on credits and extension.

International Compliance

The Philippines as party to existing international and regional

commitments/arrangements supports measures relevant to bycatch management and
discards reduction set out by such arrangements including the regulations of
Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) in the Western and Central
Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).The Philippines maintains its status as a
Responsible Flag/Coastal/Port/State Fishing Nation in order for the fish and
fishery products to remain competitive in the international market, and shall
strive to ensure the quality, safety, sustainability and traceability of all
fish/aquatic products whether sold domestically or outside the country

Gender Policies

Magna Carta of Women mandates non-discriminatory and pro-gender equality and equity
measures to enable women’s participation in the formulation, implementation, and
evaluation of policies, plans, and programs for national, regional, and local
development.Framework Plan for Women (FPW) indicates actions planned for gender
responsive governance to be undertaken by government agencies, LGUs and civil
society.Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has issued annual budget
circulars since 1997 that support the implementation of Gender Advocacy Development
(GAD) budgets at the local level.The BFAR has been actively spearheading GAD
programs in the fisheries sector.

REFERENCES

BAS. 2013. Fisheries Statistics of the Philippines 2011-2013. Volume 22. Bureau of
Agricultural Statistics

BAS. 2015. Fisheries Statistics of the Philippines 2013-2015. Volume 24. Bureau of
Agricultural Statistics

BFAR. 2011. Philippine Fisheries Profile. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources, Department of Agriculture, Quezon City, Philippines

BFAR. 2012. Philippine Fisheries Profile. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources, Department of Agriculture, Quezon City, Philippines

BFAR. 2013. Philippine Fisheries Profile. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources, Department of Agriculture, Quezon City, Philippines

BFAR. 2014. Philippine Fisheries Profile. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources, Department of Agriculture, Quezon City, Philippines

BFAR. 2015. Philippine Fisheries Profile. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources, Department of Agriculture, Quezon City, Philippines

Carpenter, K.E. and V.G. Springer. 2005. The center of the center of marine shore
fish biodiversity: the Philippine Islands. Environ Biol Fish (2005) 72:
467.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-004-3154-4

FAOSTAT. 2018. Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations. Available athttp://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#country/171. Accessed on 28 May
2018.
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