Environment group, private sector to promote sustainable fishing

MANILA, Philippines – Environmental group Rare Philippines is spearheading an initiative to rally private sector support for fishermen engaged in sustainable fishing practices.

Under the “From the Fisher to the Diner” program, Rare Philippines has teamed up with Swiss seafood company Meliomar Inc. to find a market for fishermen whose sustainable practices include respecting fish sanctuaries in municipal waters, considering dynamite fishing taboo, and using only hand lines to catch fish.

Rare Philippines and Meliomar are implementing a pilot project in Culasi, Antique.

Rocky Sanchez Tirona of Rare Philippines said that the project will create a scenario where buyers support fishers who fish the right species and sizes, use the right gear, and fish in the right places, and where fishers and traders earn more when they comply with these new criteria.

The Philippines is part of the Coral Triangle, the center of marine biodiversity in the world. Rare Philippines said that the country’s waters are rich with marine life – however, more than 90 percent of Philippine fish stocks are seriously overexploited or depleted due to pollution and destructive or illegal fishing practices.

Rare has been working with over 35 municipalities in the Philippines since 2010, helping local leaders set up better fishery and protected area management systems, and inspire behavior change among fishers and their communities.

Tirona said that by ensuring premium prices for their catch, Culasi fishermen will be encouraged to continue sustainable fishing practices.

“It’s hard for fishers to change their behavior – the pressures of earning a living daily are just too great. But with support from private companies, their customers, and ultimately, the diners who patronize them, we hope to create better incentives for fishers to do the right thing,” Tirona said.

“We have built a clientele of top hotels and restaurants who rely on us to source sustainably-caught tuna for their needs. We have been looking for ways to expand this product line, but it’s been a challenge to find fisheries that meet our sourcing criteria. We are happy to be working with Rare to see how we can help communities work toward sustainability,” Christian Schmidradner, CEO of Meliomar, said.

Metro Manila’s top hotels and restaurants namely Fairmont Hotel, Hyatt City of Dreams Manila, Marco Polo Ortigas, Marriott Manila Hotel, The Peninsula Manila, Shangri-La, Fairmont Raffles, New World Makati, Alab, Le Club, Lulu Hooch and Vask have come on board the program.

Rare Philippines, with the support of the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID), spearheaded recently the celebration of the Sustainable Seafood Week.