History of fisheries in the Philippines

A negrito fishing boat in 1899

Fisheries in the Philippines have played an important role in the livelihoods of people in the archipelago throughout recorded history. Fishing is present within traditional folklore and continues to play an important role in modern livelihoods in the Philippines, both for sustenance and for commercial activities. Early coastal communities likely fished both for sustenance and for trade. Fisheries resources would have fallen under the control of local leaders. In addition to capture fishing, some communities also practiced aquaculture, farming milkfish in brackish coastal fish ponds. Spanish rule saw control over resources shift to central authorities, however, there was little actual management.

American rule during the early 20th century coincided with demographic growth and technological development which saw fisheries expand in importance. Towns developed based on fishing as a primary activity, and new forms of aquaculture took hold. Fisheries management was expanded through the Fisheries Act of 1932, which created the concept of municipal waters to encompass both inland waters and waters near the coast. It also introduced licensing and excluded non-American and non-Filipino fishing vessels from Philippine waters.

Rapid expansion after World War II came alongside huge increases in fishery fleet efficiency and reach. This quick expansion caused overfishing, especially depleting the municipal fisheries close to the shore. Nonetheless, the government continued to promote the exploitation of fisheries as an economic resource. Commercial fisheries expanded, and in the 1970s the Philippines became a leading global supplier of tuna. Aquaculture also expanded, especially following the introduction of the Nile tilapia. This expansion of fishing fleets and decrease in fish populations led to economic difficulties among fisherfolk. Government attempts to address this slowly led to more involved fisheries management. Marine protected areas began to be established in the 1970s.

The Local Government Code of 1991 marked a significant shift, devolving management of municipal waters to local government (cities and municipalities), and expanding these waters to encompass 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of coastal waters. The Fisheries Code of 1998 reinforced this change, barring commercial fishing in municipal waters. Management efforts since then have continued to facilitate sustainable local use, and aquaculture has continued to expand, supplying both domestic and international markets. In 2019, Philippine waters were divided into Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs), which allow for more targeted management of different areas while also providing a mechanism for collaboration between relevant local and national bodies.

Early history

What is now the Philippines has a long history of coastal fishing communities, with folklore referencing relationships with fish and fishing. In addition to finfish and invertebrates, other marine species traditionally hunted include sea turtles, dugong, and cetaceans. Control of coastal resources was likely exercised by barangay chiefs. Coastal communities likely traded their fisheries products for goods such as rice and cotton from inland communities.

The first farmed fish is thought to be milkfish (locally called bangus), collected from tidal waters and raised in brackish ponds. The water of these ponds was supplied by the tides, with food either coming with the tide or caught from the wild. A series of ponds allowed the fish to be moved as they grew larger. The practice likely came from the East Javan mainland or its offshore island of Madura prior to the Spanish arrival to the Philippines. The traditional practice persisted in Mactan, Cebu, until 1921.

During Spanish rule the Spanish Law of Waters was implemented via the royal decree of Isabella II on August 8, 1866. This law gave control of all coastal resources to the Manila authorities, from whom they could be leased for use. However, for most resources, there was no management, and so exploitation was effectively unrestricted. Chinese immigration during this period introduced new fishing equipment such as Salambáw nets that allowed for larger catches to supply growing urban populations. The Spanish Law of Waters still has some provisions in force to this day, as laid out by the 1912 Irrigation Act, including the declaration of the foreshore as public land. At the end of the 19th century, sapyaw (or sapiao) nets began to spread, and other new net types followed.

Early 20th century

A growing population during American rule saw demand for fish increase. Beam trawling was introduced by Japanese fishermen in the early 20th century, as well as muro-ami nets. This increase in productivity and increased demand led to the development of larger towns whose economy was based upon fishing. American rule also saw the first quantitative research into Philippine fisheries, with 116,799 fisherfolk identified in a 1905 census, who each may have caught an average of 4.2 tons per year. Dynamite fishing is recorded in the Lingayen Gulf as far back as World War I.

A fish trap in Manila Bay in 1933

The Fisheries Act of 1932 (Act 4003) was enacted on December 5, 1932. It restricted fishing access to American and Filipino companies and created the concept of municipal waters, which reached 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) from the shore, within which only municipal governments could create fish ponds and corrals, catch milkfish fry, and license ships smaller than 3 tons. Larger ships were licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The 1932 law was the introduction of the concepts of registration and licensing. Aside from municipal fisheries, it created the concept of national fisheries, applying to both inland fisheries and specific marine fisheries, and the concept of reserve fisheries, which would be any fisheries designated by Presidential decree to be as such. Later laws shifted control over fish ponds and corrals back from municipal governments to the national government. The 1935 Commonwealth of the Philippines constitution reserved fisheries for the use of Filipinos or mostly Filipino-owned companies.

Freshwater fish ponds were likely first used sometime in the early 20th century, although there is history of small-scale rice-fish system use. In 1915, Eurasian carp began to be farmed, being imported from Hong Kong. In the years after, the carp was also introduced into natural lakes in Mindanao. Giant gourami were imported from Thailand in 1927. Later introductions include Trichogaster gourami species in 1938, and bighead carp, silver carp, and Indian carp in 1967 and 1968. Despite this, production remained limited due to competition with cropland and a cultural preference for marine fish. Freshwater farming did not significantly expand until the introduction of Nile tilapia in the 1970s.

Oyster farming was established in 1931 in Hinigaran, Negros Oriental, using the "broadcast" method where oysters are simply laid on the seabed. In the years afterward it spread to Binakayan in Cavite, leading to the area around Manila Bay becoming the center of oyster farming in the Philippines. It later spread throughout the country, and where shipping navigation was not a potential issue, it was able to be farmed with deliberately placed substrates.

Due to the reliance on wild catch to support traditional milkfish ponds, shrimp fry often also ended up in these ponds. When this happened, such shrimp were also harvested from milkfish ponds. Species known to have been farmed as a secondary product include jumbo tiger shrimp, Indian prawns, and Penaeus merguiensis. Metapenaeus ensis may also have been farmed. Fish ponds were also occasionally contaminated with seaweed, such as sea lettuce. Seaweed was already harvested wild for eating, and gained increasing use as fish food.

In 1937, the government through Fisheries Administrative Order No. 14 set up a standard system through which government-owned land could be rented to fish ponds. These leases were initially 10 years and renewable for up to 50 years, with 200 hectares (490 acres) as the maximum size. The first national park, the Hundred Islands National Park, was established in 1940 and included marine areas.

Technological development and commercial expansion

After World War II, the Philippines led the modernization of Southeast Asian fisheries. At this time, municipal fisheries were 150% larger than commercial ones. The rapid development and adoption of new technology greatly increased fishery intensity. Active gear, such as trawl nets, began to supplant passive gear, such as fish corrals, although passive gear remained common in small-scale fisheries. Trawl nets increased in efficiency. Motor boats began to spread, increasing range and mobility. In capture fisheries, otter trawlers began to be widely adopted, and in the 1960s purse seines became more common. Explosive and chemical fishing was banned through Republic Act No. 428, on June 7, 1950.

The fishing of milkfish in the sea was banned on August 5, 1949, through Fisheries Administrative Order 25, in order to ensure fry would be available to stock inland lakes and aquaculture. Dedicated and intensive shrimp faming, especially of jumbo tiger shrimp, began in Negros Occidental during the 1950s. As sugar exports declined, sugar fields were often converted into aquaculture farms. Accidental Caulerpa lentillifera contamination shifted to deliberate cultivation in Mactan during the early 1950s to meet local demand, becoming the first commercially farmed seaweed species.

The maximum area that could be leased to an individual to create fish ponds was decreased in 1954 to 100 hectares (250 acres). This was further decreased to 50 hectares (120 acres) in 1959, although the area that could be leased to corporations increased to 400 hectares (990 acres). Land area restrictions were often bypassed, for example by having multiple individuals within one family apply separately. The lease length was extended to 20 years in 1960 through Fisheries Administrative Order No. 60, and to 25 years in 1979 through Fisheries Administrative Order No. 129.

By the mid-1960s, production was double what it was in 1951. Overall, there was an almost sixfold increase in fishing effort from this period to the mid-1980s. Some fisheries in Manila Bay were likely already close to being overfished during the 1950s. The ornamental fish trade also started in the 1950s, initially for export to Europe and the United States. The technological development of the industry benefited existing capital holders, and commercial production soon began to outstrip the previously dominant municipal fisheries. The government encouraged this increasing output, without regard to environmental sustainability.

In the 1950s, intensive shrimp farming methods were applied to milkfish when the rapid shift to industrial shrimp ponds led to oversaturation and disease, and artificial feeding of milkfish became more common. Shrimp farming remained limited by a reliance on wild-caught fry. In the 1960s, crabs of the Scylla genus, which had previously been opportunistically farmed in milkfish ponds, began to be more actively managed. Economic benefits were limited by the high cost of feeding meat to crabs. Farming crabs within natural mangrove forests is one method used to reduce overhead costs. Mozambique tilapia were imported from Thailand by Deogracias Villadolid, Director of the Bureau of Fisheries, in 1950. Tilapia were much easier to breed than milkfish, making it possible for anyone to maintain a small-scale tilapia farm in a simple backyard pond as small as 10 square metres (110 sq ft). In many cases, ponds became overcrowded, leading to fish becoming stunted. Unwanted fish were released into the wild, where they have become an invasive species affecting not only the environment but also milkfish farms. Distribution of this tilapia was not driven by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), but by politicians seeking to curry favor with their constituents.

Mussel farming began with a 300 square metres (3,200 sq ft) Perna viridis farm in Binakayan, Cavite, established by the Bureau of Fisheries in 1955. This saw mussels grown on bamboo poles. Production remained around Manila Bay until the 1970s, due to the limited natural range of Perna viridis. (The widespread Modiolus metcalfei is unsuitable for aquaculture.) Perna viridis eventually spread to other areas, such as Sapian Bay and Batan Bay in Panay and Maqueda Bay Samar, possibly as biofouling pollution in bilge water. Fish cages were first introduced to the country in 1965, being tested in Laguna de Bay to farm common carp, tawes, and goby, although their use remained limited.

Demersal fisheries peaked in the late 1960s in most areas, although some fisheries continued to grow around Palawan, the southern Sulu Sea, and a small part of the East coast. A number of provinces banned trawling at various points starting from 1954, until May 1983 when Letter of Instruction 1328 banned trawling within 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) of the shore or in water shallower than 7 fathoms nationwide. Demersal catches did not increase after 1976. Deep-sea fishing began with Squalidae exploitation, primarily of the Centrophorus genus, near San Joaquin, Iloilo, in 1967.

Distribution technology, by roads and by sea, also improved during this time, providing larger markets for catches. Capture fisheries grew steadily until the mid-1970s, and started growing again in the mid-1980s until the 1990s. While municipal catches decreased during parts of this period, increasing commercial catches compensated for this.

Under martial law

Shortly after the declaration of martial law in 1972 under President Ferdinand Marcos, Presidential Decree 43 (the Fishery Industry Development Decree) was issued on November 9, 1972, promoting further development of the industry and creating a Fisheries Industry Development Council. The later Presidential Decree 704 of 1975 was the most significant fishery law since 1932, becoming the new basis for Philippine fisheries law upon its issuance on May 16, 1975. This decree maintained the established definition of municipal waters as being 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) from the shore, although this did not at the time exclude commercial fishing from these waters. A later amendment allowed the President to ban commercial fishing in chosen municipal waters. While municipal authorities were nominally accorded some powers, all municipal ordinances and licensing required approval by the national government. Presidential Decree 704 of 1975 promoted the exploitation of fisheries, although environmental problems had begun to become apparent, and the government began to tentatively look into coastal management near the end of that decade. The decree also brought to an end a system through which applications could be made for areas leased for aquaculture to be purchased from the government, resulting in the rejection of all applications made after November 9, 1972. Fish ponds were exempted from a Marcos-era land reform program shortly after it was launched.

International demand for Eucheuma seaweed, which contains carrageenan, spurred its deliberate cultivation in the 1960s after wild populations became depleted. Early farms were located in Mindoro, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. In 1973, the faster growing Kappaphycus alvarezii began to be cultivated in its place, starting in Sulu. Eucheuma denticulatum is also farmed. Gracilaria, which had been grown on a small scale as food for milkfish around Manila Bay, also began to be commercially farmed, possibly after 1973, to produce agar.

Jumbo tiger shrimp was successfully bred in the 1970s. As new markets opened in the 1980s, especially in Japan, jumbo tiger shrimp farming expanded rapidly, becoming the largest marine export of the Philippines. Exports reached a high of US$300 million in 1992. The expansion was slowed by the death of Japanese emperor Hirohito in 1989, which reduced demand. Meanwhile, intensive farming had led to antibiotic-resistant diseases spreading within Negros Occidental. While there was a substantial decline in production due to these events, shrimp farming continued outside of Negros. Farming of the other shrimp species did not expand to the same amount. While the shrimp of other Penaeus species could be bred, this cost the same as breeding jumbo tiger shrimp and produced smaller adults. Farming of Modiolus metcalfei continued to rely on wild-caught fry. Giant freshwater prawns have been sporadically cultivated since the relevant technology was introduced in the 1970s.

The tuna industry became large enough for a producers and exporters association to form in the 1970s. The mid-1970s saw the introduction of payao, which made tuna fisheries the most valuable in the country. Production increased until the Philippines was the largest producer in Southeast Asia in the 1980s, and as catches decreased at the end of that decade Philippine fishing fleets began to catch tuna in international waters. The decade also saw crab fisheries expand beyond artisanal tools, leading to a rapid reduction in crab populations due to trawling. In 1978, Presidential Decree 1599 established the country's exclusive economic zone, expanding the potential fisheries under Philippine jurisdiction. Executive Order 656 of 1981 created the National Committee on Illegal Entrants, whose mandate included tackling foreign fishing in Philippine waters.

During the 1970s, incomes among fisherfolk declined, and there was not enough data to set up effective management strategies. Commercial operations outcompeted small-scale fisherfolk exploiting the same fisheries, further diminishing the already shrinking fish stocks available. While the number of ships in the commercial fleet was roughly stable, the average size of these ships increased. Municipal fishery production dropped to just 30% of the total. The capture of small pelagic fish plateaued after 1975, despite still-increasing fishing effort. Capture effort for each municipal pelagic fish had already peaked in the 1950s. All fishing in the Lingayen Gulf peaked per unit effort in the late 1970s, after which it declined. In 1977, the Biyayang Dagat program was introduced to provide loans to small-scale fisherfolk, however, they were often unable to provide sufficient collateral, and the program was later discontinued. The 1970s also saw the first coastal resource management programs aimed at creating sustainability in fisheries.

In the 1970s, bamboo and net milkfish pens were established in the freshwater Laguna de Bay. This was an initiative of the Laguna Lake Development Authority, and initial tests showed a pen could produce 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) without any fertilizer or extra feeding. This success led to wide adoption, with 4,800 hectares (12,000 acres) of pens present by 1973. These pens produced as much fish as the remaining 85,000 hectares (210,000 acres) of lake produced in wild-caught fish. Fish ponds continued to grow, reaching 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) in 1980, and 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres) in 1983. This oversaturation decreased the productivity of individual pens, lengthening milkfish maturation time to 7–8 months from 4-5 and necessitating supplemental feed. Microcystis algal blooms caused milkfish and tilapia from the lake to have an "earthy-muddy" taste, reducing market value. Many fish pens became economically unfeasible and were abandoned, especially after being damaged by typhoons. By 1998, there were only 167 registered fish pens which altogether covered only 4,425 hectares (10,930 acres), which even when taking into account unregistered fish pens represented a substantial decrease.

Nile tilapia were introduced in the 1970s. In the same period, it became possible to farm single-gender ponds so no breeding occurred. Initial ponds were monosexed through the use of androgens, with later ponds being bred from genetically modified males with YY chromosomes. These two changes allowed freshwater tilapia farming to expand from a small-scale seasonal enterprise into commercial production. Monosex hybrids of different species have been tested, but did not become farmed commercially.

The rabbitfish orange-spotted spinefoot and vermiculated spinefoot, as well as Scatophagus argus, saw sporadic farming in Pangasinan and elsewhere. Low-level Epinephelus grouper farming, while expensive, was more successful due to high demand in Chinese restaurants. This farming likely began with the raising of wild caught individuals deemed too small for sale. This grouper farming became particularly common in Capiz, where tilapia is sometimes used as feed. Barramundi were occasionally opportunistically raised when they entered fish ponds, and attempts to commercially farm them began in the 1980s. However, as they were in demand only in the Western Visayas, and as they are costly to raise, their farming saw limited success.

The National Rice-Fish Culture Program (Palay-isdaan in Tagalog, from palay, unhusked rice, and palaisdaan, fish pond) was launched in 1979, with Nile tilapia and common carp being stocked in rice fields modified to have a long ditch and higher dikes. The program did not achieve much success, with theoretical yields not being obtained due to a number of practical impediments. Monitoring ceased after 1986 following decreasing take-up.

The 1980s saw a shift in management responsibilities from the national governments towards local governments. The Sumilon Marine Reserve was set up in 1974, and Presidential Proclamation 1801 established the broader concept of marine reserves in 1978. Puerto Galera became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977, the Apo Island Marine Reserve was set up in 1985, and Tubbataha Reef became a protected area in 1988 before becoming part of a Biosphere Reserve in 1990 and a World Heritage Site in 1993.

A 1980 ban on the conversion of mangroves to aquaculture was ineffective, with conversion rates increasing in the following years. Fish cage use in Laguna de Bay rose during the 1980s, usually to farm tilapia. From producing 7,187 million tons in 1985, freshwater fish cages produced 35,362 million tons in 1993. That year saw marine fish cage use become large enough to be recorded, and combined production reached 43,000 million tons in 1997. A 1982 study by the government and the FAO suggested the country had 9,145 hectares (22,600 acres) of potential oyster farming areas and 4,925 hectares (12,170 acres) that would be conducive to mussel farming. The National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center (then called the Fish Hatchery and Fishery Extension Center) was established by the BFAR with the assistance of USAID, becoming a significant national producer and distributor of tilapia fingerlings.

Trawling decreased starting in the 1980s due to the overfishing of demersal fisheries combined with increasing cost, becoming replaced by the cheaper Danish seine. The destructive muro-ami fishing technique was banned in 1986, but was soon replaced by the similar pa-aling method. Artificial reefs, already used as fish aggregating devices since the 1950s, began to be officially encouraged as conservation and anti-trawling devices in the 1980s. When placed in municipal waters, they often attracted illegal commercial fishing. Their overall impact was mixed, sometimes damaging. Captive giant clam breeding began in 1985, and research into breeding other vulnerable sessile invertebrates followed. Ornamental shell exports peaked in 1988, before declining significantly.

From 1981 to 1997, total seaweed production increased from 83,000 million tons to 627,105 million tons. Of the 12 provinces in which seaweed was farmed in 1987, Tawi-Tawi was the largest with an estimated 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of seaweed farms. In 1986, only 199 farms were officially licensed in Tawi-Tawi, possibly only one-fifth of the total number. From 1992 to 1997, seaweed farming expanded by 17% annually, and by 1997 farms were present in 30 provinces and cities. Many seaweed farms are small-scale and farmer-owned. Seaweed farming was often carried out alongside other methods of obtaining income, such as fishing. Exports of small pelagic species at a large scale started in 1986, mostly canned and dried sardines. The 1980s also saw the live fish trade shift from ornamental fish to fish for food.

Towards sustainable management

The newly created 1987 constitution included a specific reference to the "preferential use" of fishing resources by "subsistence fishermen". A presidential committee on illegal fishing and marine conservation was established in 1989.

In 1986, President Corazon Aquino re-included fish ponds in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program through executive order, which was reinforced through law in 1988. This measure was intended to redistribute fish ponds if their size exceeded 5 hectares (12 acres). Lobbying against this measure, supported by BFAR, resulted in fish ponds once again being exempted in 1995. This was justified as a measure to protect the shrimp farming industry, although it declined nonetheless.

By 1987, PhP 1 billion had been invested in Laguna de Bay fish pens, which stretched across 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres), employed 100,000 people, and produced 130,000 tons of fish. In 1988, aquaculture produced 26.4% of fisheries output. Development of genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) began at Central Luzon State University in 1988. This university partnered with BFAR and the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources in 1992. It began to be used commercially in the mid-1990s. In 1991, BFAR began a project to grow Gracilaria in eastern Sorsogon, with the assistance of UNDP and the FAO. This developed into the National Seaweed Culture Center.

Devolution

In 1991, local governments became empowered in areas including fishing through Republic Act 7160 (the Local Government Code of 1991), now explicitly able to regulate without national government approval. This enabled more specific management of these coastal areas, and coastal resource management with the aim of sustainability became more common. It also expanded municipal waters from 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi), shifting commercial fishing further from the shore, although in a way that created legal uncertainty around commercial fishing licensing and activities. In 1992, the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act (RA 7586) created a common framework for protected areas, including marine ones. This came during a period of political conflict due to increasing disputes over fisheries resources and the spread of the understanding of sustainability. The civilian coast guard was formed in 1997, and local governments gained some control over local police in 1998.

The 1990s saw a sharp increase in crab fishing, to fill demand created by the collapse of the Chesapeake Bay crab fishery. Meanwhile, fish pens began to be used in Lingayen Gulf and other shallow marine areas, before spreading further both inland and in the ocean. Fish pens were imported from Norway in 1996. Imports from the United States could be used in deeper water and were installed off the east coast. Milkfish continued to dominate aquaculture throughout this period, being able to be farmed across varied environmental conditions. After conflict arose between fish farmers and artisanal fishermen in Pangasinan, due to conflicts over space the environmental damage of supplemental fish farm feeding, 95% of the 3,000 fish pens in Pangasinan were dismantled in 1997 following an Executive Order from President Fidel V. Ramos.

Overall marine landings were relatively flat from 1991 to 1995. Despite absolute growth, production per capita when compared to the national population decreased by around 20% in the 1990s. Continued population growth led to increasing demand for seafood. Combined with decreasing fish catch, average consumption of seafood fell during the 1990s. Per capita consumption declined from around 40 kilograms (88 lb) in 1987 to 24 kilograms (53 lb) in 1996. During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the fishery industry expanded despite most industries contracting.

Aquaculture grew 5.42% annually in the decade leading to 1997, while commercial fisheries expanded 4.47% annually. This offset a 1.54% annual decrease in municipal fisheries production. In 1995, the Philippines was the twelfth-largest fish producer and fourth-largest aquaculture producer. Tuna overtook shrimp as the largest export product, with seaweed being third. Overall marine landings were relatively flat from 1991 to 1995. In 1997, the fisheries sector provided 15% of agricultural gross value added. Aquaculture produced 957,546 million tons, which was 34.6% of overall fisheries output and worth PhP 27,400 million. At this time, 68% of all freshwater fish ponds were in Central Luzon.

From 1985 to 1998, fisheries contributed an average of 3.5% of GDP (an increasing absolute value as overall GDP expanded). In 1998, it was 2.7% (17.6% of agricultural activities), while providing 3% of employment, of which 68% was from manpower-intensive municipal fisheries, 26% from aquaculture, and 6% from commercial fishing.

The Fisheries Code of 1998

In 1998, fisheries laws were entirely overhauled through Republic Act 8550 (the Fisheries Code of 1998), which replaced all former laws and became the basis of further legislation going forward. The Fisheries Code of 1998 assigned management of these municipal waters fully to local governments, with the intention that their exploitation be mostly restricted to the residents of their municipality. Following the fisheries code, trawling was treated as banned throughout all municipal waters. The code also reinforced the concept of integrated coastal management, the importance of local management, and the inclusion of community stakeholders in fisheries management. The legal debate around commercial fishing was clarified, assigning jurisdiction to local governments who could allow boats up to 50 GT to fish from 10.1 kilometres (6.3 mi) off their shores. Also under the Fisheries Code of 1998, the formation of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMCs) was mandated, providing local engagement in municipal lawmaking.

The fishpond land lease system was preserved in the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, although the maximum area was decreased to 250 hectares (620 acres) for corporations. In 1998, the first commercial farming of tilapia able to survive in brackish water took place in Negros Occidental, in this case a hybrid of Mozambique tilapia and Oreochromis urolepis hornorum. Tilapia farming began to replace milkfish farming. The GIFT project was spun out into an independent foundation.

In August 1999, six tuna fishing associations formed the Soccsksargen Federation of Fishing Associations and Allied Industries (SFFAAI). Two tuna processing associations from General Santos joined in 2000. SFFAAI pushed the government to more actively participate in the establishment of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, which led to the commission exempting traditional fishing boats from stringent monitoring requirements. It also encouraged the signing of bilateral deals for fishing access with neighboring countries. The Philippine Confederation of Tuna Industries was formed in 2000 to include tuna industry participants from the rest of the country. The National Tuna Industry Council was established by the government in 2000 to coordinate with the industry body.

The use of artificial reefs was banned in 1997, before being reallowed in 2001 under new guidelines. By the 2000s, overfishing in some areas was severe enough that catches with hook-and-line techniques were 1/20th of what they were in the 1940s for the same amount of effort. Integrated coastal management came into increasing use by local governments, within which fisheries are considered as part of a wider system, notably alongside marine protected areas. Integrated coastal management was officially adopted as a national strategy in 2006. Both integrated coastal management and ecosystem-based fisheries management were amended into the Fisheries Code of 1998 through Republic Act 10654 of 2014.

From 1980 to 2010, capture fisheries were dominant. Since this time, aquaculture has since increased in relative prominence. In 2012, around 1,614,000 people were employed in municipal fisheries. Municipal capture fisheries produced 51% of total capture fisheries production. Aquaculture produced an estimated PhP 92.3 billion of products. The most farmed product was seaweed, which accounted for 70% of all produce. Aside from seaweed, marine production made up 5% of produce, with brackish water and freshwater making up 12.5% each. There were 790,900 tonnes of fish produced, making up 25.4% of all fish production. The most farmed animals were milkfish, tilapia, and jumbo tiger shrimp.

In 2010, around 1 million were employed in fisheries and half a million in aquaculture. In the 2010s the National Inland Fisheries Enhancement Program was begun by BFAR to rehabilitate 16 lakes, securing fish stocks and biodiversity. As of 2012, around 1,614,000 people were employed in municipal fisheries, 16,500 in commercial fisheries, and 226,000 in aquaculture. Of the 3.1 million tons of fish produced, 790,900 (25.4%) came from aquaculture. In addition, 1.8 million tonnes of seaweed was produced. Exports reached $1.2 billion in 2013, in large part due to tuna and shrimp exports. Seafood products worth $264 million were imported. From 2008 to 2015, there was an expansion in value-added sardine processing in Zamboanga, with a 94% increase in workers over that time. The closure of an area of international waters in the Pacific Ocean known as high seas pocket 1, located between Indonesia, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea, caused some damage to the Philippine tuna industry. The Philippines lobbied for its reopening, which occurred in 2012 when 36 vessels were granted access.

Municipal fisheries and aquaculture combined produced 73% of all catch from 2011 to 2020. From 2012 to 2021, aquaculture was far more productive than municipal fisheries, whose productivity was in turn slightly higher than that of commercial fisheries. In terms of value the difference was not as large. In 2013, aquaculture made up 41% of fisheries production. From 2013 to 2022, aquaculture production by volume has fluctuated slightly, although its value increased. During that same period, the overall volume of commodities produced from municipal fisheries decreased from 1.26 million metric tons to 1.13 million metric tons. However, the value of produced commodities increased from PhP 80.90 billion to PhP 127.63 billion.

In 2019, the Philippines produced 2.07% of global fisheries commodities (including fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants), the eighth largest amount in the world. This included a 1.01% share of non-plant aquaculture production (858.28 thousand metric tons), and a 4.19% share of global plant aquaculture production (1.50 million metric tons). The production of seaweed through aquaculture grew from 707.0 thousand tonnes in 2000 to around 1,500 thousand tonnes annually in the years since then.

Fisheries Management Areas

BFAR issued Fisheries Administrative Order 263 (FAO 263) in 2019, dividing Philippine waters into 12 Fisheries Management Areas taking into account geography and fish stock distribution. Under this system, each area is expected to have its own management body and scientific advisory group, which will prepare a Fisheries Management Area Plan that is responsive to the needs of that fishing management area. Following the annexation of Benham Rise, it was announced this territory would become a special fisheries management area. In addition to creating more tailored sustainability plans, the FMAs are intended to improve governance and the enforcement of fishery laws and regulations. Implementation of the new FMAs lagged behind the laws. By mid-2021, 11 FMAs had been established, although only 6 of the originally 12 FMAs had established scientific advisory groups, and funding and reporting structures were still undefined. Some of these delays were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. The pandemic with its reduction in enforcement activities also saw an increase in IUU fishing in municipal waters. BFAR and USAID released tools to allow local communities to estimate the prevalence of IUU fishing in their local waters. By 2022, all 12 management boards had been organized, and 11 scientific advisory groups had been set up.

In 2020, fisheries made up 1.52% of GDP. In 2021, fisheries produced 4.25 million metric tons (PhP 302.44 billion): 2.25 million metric tons (52.88%) from aquaculture, 1.13 million metric tons (26.64%) from municipal fisheries, and 0.87 million metric tons (20.48%) from commercial fisheries. The most produced item was seaweed (1.34 million metric tons, or 31.63% of all fisheries production), followed by tuna (10.88%), milkfish (10.51%), sardines (8.75%), and tilapia (8.00%). USD 1,137.29 million worth of products were exported, 60% of which was tuna, seaweed, and crabs, and US$746.45 million was imported. Nationally, 2.19 million people were employed in municipal fishing activities, of which 50.03% were in capture fisheries, 11.59% in gleaning activities, and 11.28% in aquaculture. Other fish processing and municipal fishing-related activities employed 189,562 people. There were 923 licensed commercial vessel operators. Bangsamoro produced the most aquaculture products by volume, although in terms of value aquaculture in other regions produced more.

In 2022, there were 2,302,648 fisherfolk registered with BFAR, of which 50.96% were in capture fisheries, 11.27% in aquaculture, 11.18% in gleaning, 6.83% in vending, and 1.96% in processing. Of these registered fisherfolk, 70% were men and 30% were women. Most are older: 9% are 30 or below, with 21.13% aged 31 to 40, 22.97% aged 51 to 60, and 24.42% older than that. Overall production was 4.34 million metric tons worth PhP 326.57 billion, of which aquaculture produced 2.35 million metric tons (54.15%), municipal fisheries 1.13 million metric tons (25.96%), and commercial fisheries 862,686.35 metric tons (19.89%). More than half of commercial fisheries products were landed in Region XII and Region IX combined. There were 5,090 registered commercial fishing vessels under 1,004 registered operators. Of these vessels, 45.66% were small-scale, 48.39% medium-scale, and 5.97% large-scale. Over half of the operators were registered in Metro Manila. 375,995 municipal fishing vessels registered with local governments.

There were 2.35 million metric tons of aquaculture products created in the Philippines, 54.15% of all fisheries products in the Philippines, with a total value of around PhP 124.00 billion. The biggest commodity by volume was seaweed, which with 1,544,959.98 metric tons made up 65.8% of aquaculture production. The largest environment for aquaculture aside from seaweed farms was brackish ponds, followed by freshwater ponds and marine cages. By product type, the second largest by volume and highest by value was milkfish, of which 184,162.33 metric tons (47.47%) were produced in fish ponds and 180,290.27 metric tons (46.47%) were produced in fish cages. Tilapia was third by volume and third by value, with 77.19% of these tilapia being farmed in fish ponds. Shrimp was fourth by volume and second by value, with the most produced and most valuable shrimp being jumbo tiger shrimp. Seaweed farms produced the fourth-most value, PhP 16.60 billion, being sold for much less than some other fishery products per unit weight.

Large volumes of seaweed production meant Bangsamoro was the region producing the most aquaculture products, with its 1,042,064.26 metric tons being 97.95% seaweed (66.07% of national seaweed production). The region producing the most value from aquaculture however was Region III, which produced 300,345.65 metric tons worth over PhP 40 billion. Much of this was tilapia, which made up 48.61% of Region III's production by volume and 28.25% by value. The value of Bangsamoro's aquaculture products was PhP 11.57 billion.

External links

• Fisheries Act of 1932 (Act No. 4003) (pdf)
• Republic Act No. 3512, March 20, 1963. An Act Creating A Fisheries Commission, Defining its Powers, Duties and Functions, and Appropriating Funds Therefor.
• Presidential Decree on Fisheries 1975 (No. 704 of 1975).
• Administrative Order No. 114 Constituting the Presidential Committee on Illegal Fishing and Marine Conservation, 1989
• FAO No. 167 Establishing a closed season for the conservation of sardines and herrings and mackerels in the Visayan Sea, 1989
• Republic Act No. 7160. Local Government Code of 1991
• Republic Act No. 7586, National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, 1992
• Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 Republic Act No. 8550 (Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998) An Act Providing for the Development, Management and Conservation of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Integrating All Laws Pertinent Thereto, and for Other Purposes
• Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8550) related legislation
• Guidelines on the Establishment and Management of Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Projects within Mangrove Areas, 1998
• ARMM Aquatic and Fisheries Code of 1999
• Joint DENR-DA-DILG-DND Memorandum Order No. 2000-01 Guidelines on the Establishment, Management, and Utilization of Artificial Reefs in Municipal Waters
• Guidelines for the delineation and delimitation of municipal waters, 2004
• Executive Order No. 305 Devolving to municipal and city governments the registration of fishing vessels 3 gross tonnage below, 2004
• Guidelines on Registration and Licensing of Municipal Capture Fisheries for Implementation by Local Government Units, 2005
• Executive Order No. 533 Adopting integrated coastal management as a national strategy, 2006
• Republic Act 9379 An act defining handline fishing, 2006
• FAO No. 226 Regulation on the mesh size of tuna purse seine nets and trading of small tuna, 2008
• Executive Order No. 154, s. 2013 approving National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (NPOA-IUU)., NPOA-IUU pdf
• Republic Act No. 10654 amendment to the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, February 27, 2015
• BFAR Fisheries Administrative Order No. 263 Series of 2019: Establishment of Fisheries Management Areas (FMA) for the Conservation and Management of Fisheries in Philippine Waters