- Rising fuel prices are pushing commercial fishing fleets closer to shore in the Philippines, leading to increased intrusion into municipal waters.
- The number of commercial fishing vessels operating within 15-kilometer municipal waters has reached a five-year high, says Oceana.
- Artisanal fishers are struggling to afford fuel, often spending nearly double on gasoline or diesel compared to previous years, which has forced many to reduce fishing trips or seek alternative work.
The international marine conservation group Ocena said it has observed an “alarming” increasing of commercial fishing boats detected inside the 15-kilometer municipal waters of the Philippines.
According to Oceana, commercial fishing vessel intrusions have reached a five‑year high.
In March, Oceana’s Karagatan Patrol website detected 3,853 alleged commercial fishing vessels within municipal waters from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which detects commercial-grade lights.
Among the 3,853 commercial fishing vessels detected inside municipal waters, 1,331 were found in Palawan, despite the province banning commercial fishing in municipal waters in March.
After Palawan, the highest number of vessels were detected in Quezon.
‘Working to pay gas stations’
At the same time, soaring fuel prices are preventing many artisanal fishers from going out to sea at all.
Fisherfolk from multiple regions have described a situation where fuel costs have nearly doubled, to the point where daily catches barely cover the price of gasoline or diesel.
“We’re basically working just to pay the gas station owners now. Fuel prices have almost doubled, so whatever we catch only goes to buying gasoline. Often there is no catch, so we choose to work in construction instead. That’s why many of our boats are now left idle. For those who still go out, we only fish on select days because our budget for fuel simply isn’t enough,” said Edward Diaz, president of the Alliance of Small Fisherfolk of Tayabas Bay.
According to Venerando Carbon from the Tañon Strait Fisherfolk Federation based in Cebu, artisanal fishers used to spend around PHP 200 (U$3.20) to PHP 300 (U$4.90) each day, the diesel now costs them at least PHP 600 (U$9.70) to PHP 700 (U$11.40).
Furthermore, they are sailing four to five kilometres from the shore to ensure a catch that would barely be enough to cover the cost of fuel.
“They are struggling even more because fuel is extremely expensive. They have really stopped going out to sea because there’s no certainty whether they’ll catch anything or not. Just getting out there already puts them at a loss due to the added cost of higher fuel prices,” said Carbon.
According to fisherfolk leader Judith Castres from Davao Oriental, fisherfolk generally receive less support than farmers despite facing similar economic shocks.
To make matters worse, the government’s outdated databases have prevented municipal fishers from receiving government aid.
Government intervention needed
As fuel costs rise, Oceana warned that more commercial fishing vessels were likely to operate close to the shore to save on cost, even when the fishing season ends.
It called on the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the relevant enforcement agencies to fully utilise state-installed vessel monitoring systems to track movements and enforce the law.
“It is incomprehensible that the government is letting commercial fishing operators completely ignore the law while poor municipal fishers struggle with their daily food and other basic requirements,” said Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, Oceana’s Senior Director for Campaigns and Legal and Policy.
“From the pandemic, until now, the government continues to fail with the necessary protection they need. They need to be able to rely on the DA-BFAR, and on government that has the duly constituted mandate to protect the municipal fishers’ preferential right in the 15-kilometer municipal water. Thus far, they have been unable to do that.”
Fisherfolk leaders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao jointly issued an appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to increase their subsidy to more than the current PHP3,000 (U$48.70) aid.
They also appealed to Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel and the BFAR to fix the identification system so all fisherfolk can receive their subsidies.
