Sinking Ships: The Municipal Fisheries Crisis

The numbers speak for themselves. While Western Visayas’ fisheries sector showed resilience in 2024, growing by 8.5% despite a nationwide decline, this success masks a troubling reality: municipal fisheries, the backbone of small-scale fishing communities, are in a steep and alarming decline.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, municipal fisheries in the region dropped by 24.1% in 2024, with marine municipal fisheries falling by 23.4% and inland fisheries plummeting by a staggering 47.1%. Iloilo (-44.0%), Negros Occidental (-42.3%), and Capiz (-37.9%) were hit hardest, reflecting a crisis that extends beyond local waters and mirrors a nationwide trend.

The economic impact is devastating. Municipal fisheries lost 30.7% of their total value, dragging down the region’s overall fisheries revenue by 6.6% to PHP 33.64 billion. Despite growth in aquaculture and commercial fisheries, the sharp decline in municipal fisheries weighed heavily on the region’s total production value, underscoring its crucial role in the industry. Without the municipal sector’s losses, Western Visayas’ overall fisheries output could have seen more robust growth instead of suffering a downturn.

This shift raises serious concerns about the sustainability of small-scale fishing operations. Marine conservation group Oceana has pointed to overfishing, illegal commercial fishing encroaching on municipal waters, and environmental degradation as the key culprits behind this collapse. These findings are not new, but the continued failure to address them means we are pushing municipal fisheries to the brink of collapse.

The implications of this decline go far beyond economics. Small-scale fishers, many of whom already live below the poverty line, face an existential threat to their livelihoods. With dwindling fish stocks, rising costs, and unfair competition from commercial operators, these traditional fishers are being squeezed out of their own waters.

There is also a looming food security crisis. If municipal fisheries continue to shrink, the availability of affordable fish for ordinary Filipinos will diminish. Fish remains a primary protein source for millions, and any disruption in supply will lead to increased prices, affecting the most vulnerable sectors of society.

This crisis demands immediate and decisive action. The government must prioritize the strict enforcement of fisheries laws, particularly the ban on commercial fishing within the 15-kilometer municipal waters reserved for small-scale fishers. Illegal commercial fishing must be met with harsher penalties and more aggressive enforcement measures. The use of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) should be mandatory, ensuring real-time tracking to prevent illegal incursions.

Beyond enforcement, long-term solutions must be put in place. The government should invest in community-based marine resource management programs, promoting sustainable fishing practices and habitat restoration projects to rebuild depleted fish stocks. Alternative livelihood programs should also be developed for small-scale fishers, helping them transition to more sustainable income sources.

Policymakers must act with urgency. The recent Supreme Court and Malabon Regional Trial Court decisions, which could open 90% of municipal waters to commercial fishing, must be vigorously opposed. These rulings, if enforced, would deal a death blow to small-scale fishers, tilting the balance even further in favor of large operators who already dominate the industry.

The decline of municipal fisheries is not just a statistic; it is a crisis that threatens communities, livelihoods, and food security. If we fail to act now, we risk losing an irreplaceable sector of our fisheries industry—one that has sustained generations of Filipinos. The time for lip service and delayed action is over. It is time to protect our municipal fisheries before they disappear entirely.