Fish catch in the Philippines, whose coastal zone is a rich source of fish and aquatic products, are in a serious decline.
The country was Asia’s second largest tuna exporter – after Indonesia. In 2010, it was the Western and Central Pacific’s seventh best tuna generator. Most of the 106,449 metric tons of prime tuna that year were shipped to the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.
But in recent years, tuna caught in the waters of Mindoro, Ilocos Norte, Negros and Sarangani has been falling. “Unless we closely manage and protect remaining populations, our tuna industry might collapse,” said a statement from the World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines urged.
Rapid population growth plus government neglect in preserving the life-sustaining coastal ecosystem since the postwar years had been cited as the main culprits of the depletion of fish resources in the country.
The Philippines is currently home to more than 100 million Filipinos. By the end of 2018, based on the Philippine Census of Population in 2015, the total number will balloon to 107.19 million, according to the Commission on Population (Popcom).
“That means we will be adding 4,965 Filipinos a day, or 206 every hour in 2018,” explained Juan Antonio Perez III, Popcom executive director.
Meanwhile, the coastal zones of the country encompass approximately 17,000 kilometers of coastline. It includes: mangrove forests, tidal flats, estuaries, island ecosystems, coral reefs and beaches.
Vanishing mangroves
In 1980, the Philippines was among 10 countries with the largest mangrove areas in Asia. At that time, it had 146,000 hectares of mangrove forests. By 1988, however, the area went down to 38,000 hectares. The country had some 500,000 hectares of mangroves in 1920.
“All over the country, whatever coastal province you visit, you see the same plight – desolate stretches of shoreline completely stripped of mangrove cover and now totally exposed to the pounding of ocean’s waves,” said a Filipino environmentalist.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported that most of the remaining vegetated mangrove areas in the country today are second-growth, containing other than the original species.
Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, director of DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau, says its agency has identified 42 species of mangroves in the country. None of them are facing extinction yet. But the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is considering of putting 11 out of 70 mangrove species assessed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
“Mangroves form one of the most important tropical habitats that support many species, and their loss can affect marine and terrestrial biodiversity much more widely,” pointed out Beth Polidoro, who led the first-ever global assessment on the conservation status of mangroves.
Mangroves are very important to marine life, says Dr. Rafael Guerrero III, former director of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development. They serve as sanctuaries and feeding grounds for fish that nibble on detritus (fallen and decaying leaves) trapped in the vegetation, and on the bark and leaves of living trees.
“(Mangroves) are important feeding sites for many commercially important fish species (mullet, tilapia, eel, and especially milkfish), shrimps, prawns, mollusks, crabs, and sea cucumbers,” a World Bank report on environment adds. “Fry that gather in mangrove areas are very important for aquaculture.”
Coral reefs on the brink
On land, the ecosystem that supports the greatest number of plant and animal species is the rainforest. In the sea, it’s the coral reef. But unlike their counterparts, coral reefs have not been given much importance by people since they could not be seen.
“When trees are cut and human beings are affected as a result of flashfloods, people rallied against deforestation,” explained Dr. Bernhard Riegel, associate director of the National Coral Reef Institute in the United States. “But like forests, coral reefs are also suffering the same magnitude of destruction.”
“One of the greatest natural treasures, (coral reefs) are habitats for rare species, including some 488 species of corals, 971 species of benthic algae, and 2,000 species of fish,” explains Dr. Miguel D. Fortes, a professor at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines. “A single reef may contain 3,000 species of corals, fish, and shellfish.”
Studies have shown that a single reef can support as many as 3,000 species of marine life. As fishing grounds, they are thought to be 10 to 100 times as productive per unit area as the open sea.
The Philippines has the distinction of being home to more than 400 of the 700 coral reefs known to man. Unfortunately, most of these reefs are in a sad state of destruction. Unless something is done soon to stop their destruction, fish production may to collapse.
It seems to be happening in Davao City already. But no one seems to feel it yet. In the past, Bago Aplaya used to be a haven of fish in the city. “When I was still younger,” 53-year-old Ronnie Estrera recalled, “we used to catch a lot of fish. But it’s the case anymore today.”
“We are running out of fish and running out of time. For a country known for marine biodiversity, there are very few fish left to catch,” Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, was quoted as saying.
Neglected seagrasses
Seagrasses receive little attention like coral reefs. But like mangroves, they act as buffer to winds and provide habitats and shelter for many invertebrates and fishes. They also serve as filter to sewage, reducing the effects of pollution on coral reefs and mangroves.
Seagrasses are said to be the “last frontier” of the country’s basic marine needs. Unfortunately, they are being destroyed at a very alarming rate.
“In spite of the ecological and economic value of seagrasses, between 30% to 50% of the seagrass beds have been lost due to industrial development, ports, and recreation in the last 50 years,” deplored Dr. Lim.
Dr. Miguel D. Fortes, the country’s foremost expert on seagrasses, echoed the same concern. “Despite their high biodiversity and abundance, seagrass habitats are still poorly understood in our country,” he said. “Hence, it appears only marginally useful when, in fact, the ecosystem plays significant economic and ecological roles.”
The Philippines has 18 species of seagrasses thriving along its coasts. This makes the Philippines as having the second highest species of seagrasses around the world. Western Australia leads — with more than 30 species of seagrasses.
Seagrasses provide food and shelter for many organisms, and are a nursery ground for commercially important prawn and fish species. The high primary production rates of seagrasses are closely linked to the high production rates of associated fisheries.
Among the diversified species found in the seagrass beds are fishes, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, crabs, scallops, mussels and snails. Shrimps spend the early stages of their lives in seagrass areas. Large animals like sea cow (dugong) and green sea turtles graze extensively in seagrass beds.
Seahorses, a tourist attraction and of medicinal value, reside in seagrass beds. A study done in five seagrass sites in the country identified a total of 1,384 individuals and 55 species from 25 fish families.
Climate change
Aside from the destruction of the primary fishery sanctuaries of coastal ecosystem, climate change has also been cited by fishery experts as another important factor affecting fisheries. “The level of impacts varies widely and depends on attributes of the species as well as on their regional specificity,” said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Changes in ocean circulation, the UN-sponsored body explained, may lead to the loss of certain populations or the establishment of new ones.
“Warming impacts on the abundance of commercially important species can be either positive or negative for the same species, depending on the region,” the IPCC said in a statement.
Some sea fisheries will collapse as the world warms, while others boom, according to the IPCC. Some species are most likely to move polewards as waters warm.
Where have all our fishes gone?
