World Bank Financing By $200 Million PH’s “Blue Economy” – The Reality Of Overfishing Makes The Concept Of The “Fish Management Area” Truly Necessary

Wow! The World Bank is setting aside $200 Million (P10 Billion+) to finance the PH project “Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe)” to help 500,000 Filipinos to skillfullyrise above poverty in their capture and culture fisheries, and the country to intelligently conserve its marine resources. FishCoRe hopefully will be implemented this year.

(inset image from PCAF, pcaf.da.gov.ph)

In a letter to PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar, WB Country Director Achim Fook said:

We fully support the goals of the FishCoRe Project to sustainably improve incomes of Filipino fisherfolk, and support resilient coastal communities through enhanced ecosystem management, productivity-enhancing technologies, aquaculture, reduced post-harvest losses, value-chain infrastructure, and related activities.

Mr Dar, chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to which the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is attached, says FishCoRe, a 7-year project, is BFAR’s “medium-to-long-term intervention to increase resiliency (considering) climate change and as a bounce-back strategy for the country’s ‘blue economy’ amid the Covid-19 pandemic (restrictions).”

BFAR has divided the Philippine archipelago into 12 Fish Management Areas (FMAs) in which “to sustainably manage fishery resources through a science-based and participatory governance framework.” Science must be followed, implemented by people from different groups public and private.

FishCoRe will benefit 500,000 stakeholders in fish capture and culture in FMAs 6 and 9 covering 11 regions and 24 provinces, 32 million hectares of waters. FMA 6 covers the coastal waters off the West Philippine Sea including Pagudpud Bay, Subic Bay, Manila Bay to Lubang Island; FMA 9 covers the waters in Bohol Sea, Panguil Bay, Iligan Bay, Gingoog Bay, Butuan Bay, and Sogod Bay.

Mr Dar said:

We are optimistic that the FishCoRe Project will be able to establish examples of good governance mechanisms, leading to better management of the “blue resources” and aquaculture development.

Here are the “key growth targets” – (a) increase in household income, (b) increase in value-added fishery commodities, (c) reduction in postharvest losses, and (d) reduction in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing incidences. In fact, (b) and (c) are designed to improve (a) income. Differently, (d) is designed to conserve resources by preventing overfishing.

Ah, overfishing is subtle. In technical terms, overfishing means “catching fish faster than stocks can naturally replenish themselves.” In practical terms, you catch the small fish and the females with eggs – and bring them home. Without small ones growing, how can there be more fish to catch later? Female fish with eggs – I remember as a young boy fishing with a hook or fish trap made of bundled tips of bamboo (the Ilocano “rama”), everyone wanted the fish eggs!

No, nobody told us that if we ate the pregnant females with their delicious eggs, who will give birth to the next generation of fish? We had eaten the next generation! A scientific fact that most fishermen either do not realize or do not accept.

The reality of overfishing makes the concept of the Fish Management Area truly necessary. It is long overdue. Congratulations, Secretary Dar!@517

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