DOST-PCAARRD, UP Visayas push small-scale fisheries policy reforms

By Jahjiel S. Pajutan, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services

The Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) and the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) are pushing clearer policy and institutional pathways to strengthen the implementation of international guidelines for small-scale fisheries in the Philippines.

Small-scale fisheries play a vital role in the country’s food security, livelihoods and local economies, with municipal fishing contributing significantly to overall fish production.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), small-scale fisheries account for 26.6% of Philippine fisheries production and provide livelihoods to an estimated 2.19 million people.

Despite their importance, small-scale fishers continue to face declining catches, climate vulnerability, displacement, poverty and limited access to fishing grounds.

To address these challenges, DOST-PCAARRD, in partnership with UPV, implemented the project “Assessing and Accelerating: Towards the Full Implementation of the FAO Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines in the Philippines.”

The project assessed how national and local fisheries policies align with the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, or FAO-SSF Guidelines.

It also examined institutional mechanisms supporting implementation, assessed stakeholder awareness, identified factors facilitating or hindering implementation, and developed policy and institutional mechanisms to support adoption from the national to local levels.

The FAO-SSF Guidelines are the first international instrument devoted entirely to small-scale fisheries and are designed to guide governments, fishing communities and other stakeholders in developing policies that support sustainable fisheries, food security, poverty reduction and human rights.

The study found that while policies supporting small-scale fisheries are already in place, significant gaps remain in implementation at the local level.

These include weak institutional coordination, limited stakeholder participation, inadequate enforcement capacity and insufficient localization of the FAO-SSF Guidelines.

The study also underscored low awareness of the guidelines among fisherfolk, fisherfolk leaders and local implementers, particularly in translating the National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) into local policies, ordinances and development plans.

The Philippines formally launched the NPOA-SSF in October 2024, becoming the first country in Asia to adopt such a national action plan.

Clearer policy pathways urged

Among the key recommendations discussed during the project review was the need to establish clearer and more specific policy pathways for implementing the FAO-SSF Guidelines.

Evaluators recommended strengthening the assessment of policy alignment by clearly presenting the criteria used to classify alignment as strong or moderate and identifying specific provisions of the Fisheries Code that could support implementation.

The project was also encouraged to develop policy briefs and other knowledge products that clearly communicate proposed policy language for consideration by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and other concerned stakeholders.

At the national level, the project proposed establishing a multisectoral National Technical Working Group on SSF implementation, strengthening interagency convergence and operationalizing the NPOA-SSF through dedicated resources and local planning mechanisms.

It also recommended empowering fisherfolk organizations and strengthening the role of the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) in mainstreaming small-scale fisheries concerns into national policies.

At the local level, recommendations included integrating NPOA-SSF principles into local fisheries ordinances and development plans, strengthening inter-LGU alliances, improving municipal water delineation and enhancing community-based dispute resolution mechanisms.

These accomplishments and recommendations were discussed during the project’s terminal review on July 20, 2026, led by DOST-PCAARRD’s Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD).

The review was attended by the project team led by Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer, external evaluators Dr. Mudjekeewis D. Santos and Dr. Jose A. Ingles, and DOST-PCAARRD representatives, including Monica B. Castillo of SERD.

Representatives from the Marine Resources Research Division and the Office of the Executive Director for Research and Development also participated.

Municipal waters, LGU cooperation flagged

The review emphasized municipal water delineation and cooperation among local government units as continuing challenges in fisheries governance.

Under the Philippine Fisheries Code, municipal waters generally extend up to 15 kilometers from the coastline and are primarily reserved for municipal fisherfolk and their organizations, subject to provisions of the law.

Evaluators recommended developing concrete policy options, including a policy paper on inter-LGU alliances, to address unresolved boundary issues and promote fisheries management beyond administrative boundaries.

The project also recommended strengthening inter-LGU fisheries alliances and co-management arrangements to support ecosystem-based fisheries governance and protect the tenure rights of small-scale fishers.

Other recommendations included strengthening awareness campaigns and fisherfolk registries and expanding the role of higher education institutions in research and capacity building.

The project also identified social protection for fishers, gender and youth participation in fisheries governance, stronger fisherfolk cooperatives, improved access to finance and markets, and climate adaptation measures as priority areas.

These measures are intended to create an enabling environment in which small-scale fishers can participate meaningfully in fisheries governance while strengthening the sustainability and resilience of fisheries-dependent communities.

The project ultimately seeks to advance implementation of the FAO-SSF Guidelines by providing evidence-based policy and institutional recommendations that can bridge the gap between national commitments and local action.

The terminal review also identified opportunities for DOST-PCAARRD and its partners to further support policy advocacy, knowledge generation and stakeholder engagement toward more inclusive, participatory and sustainable small-scale fisheries governance in the Philippines.

The project team committed to incorporating the evaluators’ recommendations into the revised terminal report and succeeding policy outputs.