EDITORIAL - Sustainable fishing

With prices of fish rising, the government has approved the importation of galunggong. Among those hit by the move, however, are many of the biggest consumers of the so-called poor man’s fish: small-scale fishermen and their families.

No wonder the main organization of small-scale fishermen is opposing the importation – the first time in about two decades that the country is importing fish. The government says the importation is meant merely to ensure steady supply while a moratorium on fishing is observed for several months. The moratorium is part of efforts to rehabilitate fishing grounds destroyed by a trawler-type fishing method employed by commercial fishing operators using the Danish seine or hulbot-hulbot.

Seining is practiced in many countries, but environmentalists saw its destructive impact on marine habitats in the Philippines. Hulbot-hulbot is now banned in this country, but it will take time before damaged sea beds are rehabilitated. Even when the fishing moratorium is lifted, however, small-scale fishermen need more support to make their livelihood sustainable.

Local government units and fisheries authorities need to intensify operations against destructive fishing methods and encroachment by commercial fishing boats into municipal waters where only small-scale fishermen are allowed to operate. Congress may need to amend fisheries laws to boost the capability of small-scale fishermen to catch fish and keep out large commercial fishing boats from municipal waters.

Small-scale fishermen nurture the spawning grounds of fish and can play a critical role in preserving the marine environment. Many are aware of the importance of sustainability in their livelihood. They complain that their concerns have been ignored for years by many local government officials whose families are engaged in commercial fishing.

National government officials must look into this and see if synergy is possible between commercial and small-scale fishing operators. As in farming, sustainability must be the guiding principle, without which the country’s food security is put at risk.