April 23, 2008
Official denies fish crisis in the Philippines
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Assistant Director (BFAR) belied reports that Philippine fish supply is collapsing.
BFAR Assistant Director Benjamin Tabios, Jr denied the warnings of Malaysia-based World Fish Center based that even if the Philippines has vast water resources, it is still experiencing depletion of its fisheries resources.
Formerly the Manila-based International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM), the World Fish Center does scientific research on fisheries resources management.
Tabios said the Philippines had a 9 percent jump in fish production in 2007, from the 4.4 million tones it gathered from the previous year.
Aside from the volume of marine captured fish at 2.4 million tones last year, the country has also almost the same figure from aquaculture production.
However, Tabios admitted that the industry is having some supply problems but it is nowhere to be called a crisis. He said that they have already taken steps to prevent overfishing in Philippine waters.
Tabios admitted that demand for fish in the country is expected to grow, and it may lead to increase of marine fish captures in the future, which could eventually lead to fish depletion.
For instance, big fishing companies have not been allowed to build new fishing vessels for nearly ten years.
The BFAR has already identified and maintains 300 fish sanctuaries all over the country to let fish breeding continue.
The BFAR has also discouraged commercial and municipal capture of fish. Instead, it is promoting aquaculture in the country, which yields half of the fish consumption of the Filipinos.
He pointed out some regions in the Visayas that practice implementing a closed season for two months every year. This means that for two months, no fishing in specific areas is strictly enforced.
This practice is also being studied now, and is planned to be implemented in Sulu Sea in an attempt to improve supply of sardine fish.
