Fish now smaller, more expensive, says SWS survey

MANILA, Philippines — Majority of Filipinos believe that fish caught and sold in the market are becoming less and much more expensive, the first ever survey from Social Weather Stations showed. Based on Feasting or Fasting on Fish: Filipino Public Opinion on Fisheries, Marine Resources and Oceans, a survey commissioned by the local unit of international group Oceana, Filipinos believe that fish have become smaller, fewer, more expensive and has less varieties.

SWS surveyed 1,500 adult respondents in Metro Manila, North and South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao last month.

Eighty-two percent of Filipinos said fish is more expensive now compared to 10 years ago, while 54 percent agreed that the size of the basic commodity has become smaller.

“This goes to show that there is really overfishing and that everyone feels the impact with the prices becoming really high with less supply and smaller fish,” Oceana vice president Gloria Ramos said during the survey presentation on Wednesday.

“We hope this trigger changes in our policies and that there should a be a call for action from the government. There is an overlapping of function in managing our fisheries and it is high time that agencies work together closely,” she said.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), for its part, said the survey has valuable information that is consistent with science.

“The government does not have this kind of detailed data. We will need this not just in crafting policies, but also in formulating programs,” BFAR assistant director Drusila Bayate said.

The survey also covered Filipinos’ views on the situation of the country’s oceans wherein 26 percent only know about the Fisheries Code that aims to protect the industry.