President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is failing to identify that big-ticket reclamation projects and unregulated large-scale fishing are behind the massive destruction of marine biodiversity, fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said last month.

Marcos, who is also the agriculture secretary, said the government is studying the idea of imposing a fishing ban to replenish fish population amid its decline. While Marcos already recanted his proposal, PAMALAKAYA said that the government’s fishing policy is misaligned, with small-scale fisherfolk bearing the brunt of the problems it will bring.

“In many fishing areas, we always fall prey to strict fishing regulations accompanied by unjust and hefty penalties including but not limited to P2,500 to P5,000 fine, confiscation of catch and fishing gears, and cases of illegal and unauthorized fishing,” PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson Fernando Hicap said.

Earlier this month, the group revealed that fish catch is down by 70 percent. The Philippine Statistics Authority similarly reported that fish production is down by 137,720 metric tons in the second quarter of 2023 from last year’s output of the same period.

While overfishing is a problem that may cause a decline in fish population, the main issue with Marcos’s proposal is it does not address the contribution of large-scale vessels to this degradation, said Rene Abesamis, a marine biologist and UP Marine Science Institute professor.

“Part of responsible fish management is to make sure that it is equitable. The problem with this kasi kung blanket ang policy pero after that sobra-sobra mangisda ang malalaking vessels, then it’s not really going to work,” Abesamis told Collegian.

A ban, therefore, will only halt income for small and sustainable fisherfolk, PAMALAKAYA said.

Under the Fisheries Code of 1998, large vessels are allowed to fish as long as the water is seven-fathom deep, or approximately 42 feet. In 2014, this rule was amended to ban commercial fishing within 15 kilometers from the shoreline. But almost a decade since, PAMALAKAYA reported that large-scale fishing is still being conducted with no proper regulations.

“Small fishers, and even those who are only engaged in subsistence fishing, are often the usual targets of conservation measures and restrictions,” Hicap said. “Commercial fishing vessels, on the other hand, are allowed to conduct their unregulated fishing expeditions anywhere, even within the municipal fishing grounds intended for small fishers, because of some provisions in the existing fisheries law.”

In August, 50 reclamation projects were also slated in the Philippine Reclamation Authority’s master list. This is only seen to increase with Marcos Jr.’s infrastructure splurge, with seven reclamation projects currently in implementation. PAMALAKAYA, in August, has already warned against these initiatives that displaced hundreds of families in Manila Bay where most projects are concentrated.

“There’s really no justification for reclamation projects, it’s disruptive. Reclamation is direct burying eh, you cause sediment plumes, you change the shape of the seafloor, you change the shape of the coastline, and you also damage the origin of your materials. It’s a disruption to the ecosystem,” Abesamis said.

Marine scientists and conservation experts have long warned against reclamation projects that destroy the marine ecosystem. Studies have shown that these initiatives adversely affected fisheries, which contributes P215.56 billion to the country’s gross domestic product.

“Our call to stop reclamation projects across the archipelago remains neglected by the Marcos administration, even with its verbal suspension order in Manila Bay. The said verbal pronouncement of President Marcos Jr. against reclamation in Manila Bay remains toothless and sham if an official executive order has yet to be issued,” Hicap said. ●