MUDJEKEEWIS D. SANTOS, PH.D.Scientist II, NFRDI & Academician, NAST PHLmudjiesantos@gmail.com

PRESERVING FISH STOCKS IN SCS: A PHILIPPINES PERSPECTIVE

wikipedia.org

google.com

Kool et al., 2011

Connectivity (larvae dispersal) …

Santos et al, 2010

Connectivity (genetic) …

@JERandall

Willette et al, 2015

Connectivity (genetic)…

@IGFA

Clark-Shen et al., 2019

Commonalities …

Zhang, 2017

• “achieving food security and economic development”,

• “ensuring sustainable fishery and protecting the marine environment”,

• “preventing fishing conflicts and disputes”

Common Objectives:

PHILIPPINE (PH) FISHERIES STATUS

80% water; 5th longest coastline

top fish producing country

a Distant Water Fishing Nation (DWFN)

host to highest number of marine

species per square area

marine resources valued at more than

US900 Billion (Azanza et al., 2018)

Philippines: Top Fisheries and Center of Marine Biodiversity

presence of numerous threats

70% lives in coastal areas

fisherfolks poorest of the poor

weak institutional systems

most vulnerable to climate change

impacts

Philippines: Center of Marine Adversity

Roberts et al 2002.

1. Fisheries Development Plan

Strategy 1: Determine new fishing grounds and expanding access to fishing grounds

Strategy 2: Strengthen Anti-IUUF measures

Strategy 3: Implement science-based conservation and management measures

Strategy 4: Promote the use of appropriate and updated technology

Strategy 5: Facilitate livelihood opportunities

Strategy 6: Improve reporting compliance and maintaining databases

2. Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs)

Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) 263, Series of 2019 : 12 FMAs

WEST PH SEA FISHERIES STATUS

Nationwide Landed Catch and Effort Monitoring (since 1998)

National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP)

> 900 fish landing centers

Fishing ground Boat and gear

Fish IDFish weight

Fish sizeReproduction

Reference pts.

Region I

Region IVB

Region III

Santos et al., 2018

Region I

Region IVB

Region III

Santos et al., 2018

Region I

Region IVB

Region III

Santos et al., 2018

Region I

Region IVB

Region III

Santos et al., 2018

Reference Points (Exploitation Ratio)

Region I

Region IVB

Region III

REGION FISHING GROUND GROUP/FAMILY SPECIES

2015 2016

Legend:

I Bangui Bay Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.60 0.68 Pelagics E-values

< 0.4

Ilocos Coast/NWPS Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.75 0.76 0.4 - 0.59

> 0.6

Demersal/Nemiptheridae Nemipterus bathybius 0.68 0.6

Demersal and

Neritic TunaE-values

Lingayen Gulf Small Pelagics Decapterus maruadsi 0.76 0.59 < 0.3

Small Pelagics Rastrelliger brachysoma 0.77 0.68 0.3 - 0.49

Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.59 0.6 > 0.5

Demersal/Nemipteridae Nemipterus bathybius 0.81 0.77 Oceanic Tuna E-values

Demersal/Synodonthidae Saurida tumbil 0.66 0.61 < 0.2

0.2 - 0.39

> 0.4

III West Philippine Sea Neritic Tunas/Scombridae Auxis rochei 0.79 0.50

Neritic Tunas/Scombridae Euthynnus affinis 0.80 0.71

Small Pelagics Decapterus macarellus 0.59 0.56

Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.67 0.59

Demersals/Nemipteridae Nemipterus virgatus 0.64 0.54

Demersals/Mullidae Upeneus vittatus 0.76 0.59

Demersals/Siganidae Siganus canaliculatus 0.75 0.67

IVB Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger kanagurta 0.74 0.65

Demersal/Nemipteridae Nemipterus hexodon 0.42 0.69

Imuruan Bay Small Pelagic/Carangidae Selar crumenophthalmus 0.59 0.75

Malanut Bay Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger kanagurta 0.54 0.74

Northern Palawan, Sulu

SeaSmall Pelagic/Carangidae Decapterus macrosoma 0.64 0.72

Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger kanagurta 0.69 0.78

Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger faughni 0.67 0.58

ACTUAL E-VALUE

Bacuit Bay

REGION FISHING GROUND GROUP/FAMILY SPECIES

2015 2016

Legend:

I Bangui Bay Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.60 0.68 Pelagics E-values

< 0.4

Ilocos Coast/NWPS Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.75 0.76 0.4 - 0.59

> 0.6

Demersal/Nemiptheridae Nemipterus bathybius 0.68 0.6

Demersal and

Neritic TunaE-values

Lingayen Gulf Small Pelagics Decapterus maruadsi 0.76 0.59 < 0.3

Small Pelagics Rastrelliger brachysoma 0.77 0.68 0.3 - 0.49

Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.59 0.6 > 0.5

Demersal/Nemipteridae Nemipterus bathybius 0.81 0.77 Oceanic Tuna E-values

Demersal/Synodonthidae Saurida tumbil 0.66 0.61 < 0.2

0.2 - 0.39

> 0.4

III West Philippine Sea Neritic Tunas/Scombridae Auxis rochei 0.79 0.50

Neritic Tunas/Scombridae Euthynnus affinis 0.80 0.71

Small Pelagics Decapterus macarellus 0.59 0.56

Small Pelagics Selar crumenophthalmus 0.67 0.59

Demersals/Nemipteridae Nemipterus virgatus 0.64 0.54

Demersals/Mullidae Upeneus vittatus 0.76 0.59

Demersals/Siganidae Siganus canaliculatus 0.75 0.67

IVB Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger kanagurta 0.74 0.65

Demersal/Nemipteridae Nemipterus hexodon 0.42 0.69

Imuruan Bay Small Pelagic/Carangidae Selar crumenophthalmus 0.59 0.75

Malanut Bay Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger kanagurta 0.54 0.74

Northern Palawan, Sulu

SeaSmall Pelagic/Carangidae Decapterus macrosoma 0.64 0.72

Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger kanagurta 0.69 0.78

Small Pelagic/Scombridae Rastrelliger faughni 0.67 0.58

ACTUAL E-VALUE

Bacuit Bay

Santos et al., 2018

PHILIPPINES FISHING CLOSURES

Fishing

Closure

Area

Coverage (km2)

Duration Target Species

Year started

Close Open

Visayan Sea ~ 3,000 November 15 March 15 sardines,

mackerels,

herrings

1989

Zamboanga

Peninsula

22,260 December 1 March 1 sardines 2011

Davao Gulf 3,087 June 1 August 31 scads,

mackerels

2014

Northern Palawan

35,943 November 1 January 31 scads

(Decapterus

spp.)

2015

Volume canned sardines

Volume bottled sardines

Rola et al., 2018

Canned sardines workers

Bottled sardines workers

Volume (MT) Workers (No.)

Rola et al., 2018

Edgar Lim (PERMEX), pers. comm. 2019

2011

1 Million cans/day

2019

5 Million cans/day

PHILIPPINE MPA NETWORKS

Definition

“MPA - a defined area of the sea established and set aside by law, administrative regulation, or any other effective means in order to conserve and protect a part of or the entire enclosed environment through the establishment of management guidelines. It is considered a generic term that includes all declared areas governed by specific rules or guidelines in order to protect and manage activities within the enclosed area”

• NIPAS MPA“protected areas established and managed in accordance with RA 7586 “National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act”, as amended by RA 11038”

• Locally- Managed MPA“MPAs established by Local Government Units (LGUs) in accordance with RA 7160 or “Local Government Code” as amended and/or RA 8550 “The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998”, as amended by RA 10654”

• Fish Refuge and Sanctuary“designated areas where fishing or other forms of activities which may damage the ecosystem of the area is prohibited and human access may be restricted in accordance with Republic Act (RA) No. 8550 “ The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998”, as amended by RA 10654”

MPA Database in Philippines(www.database.mpasupportnetwork.org)

> 1,800 MPAs

Cabral et al., 2014

“Majority of existing MPAs are small, community-established and managed areas, and not properly integrated into ecosystem or seascape approach, which limits the ability of MPAs to effectively contribute to achieving sustainable development, food security and biodiversity conservation goals”

“Studies show that linking MPAs into networks will improve the capacities of each relevant management body in law enforcement, biodiversity conservation, increasing fish stocks and other marine resources, among others. MPA networks (MPAN) will enhance the contribution to food security, ecological balance, and poverty alleviation goals as well as to climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction and mitigation”

WHY MPA NETWORK ?

Future official definition(under Joint Memorandum Circular)

“MPA Network - connectivity of at least two (2) MPAs based on ecological, socio-economic and/or governance considerations, at various spatial scales, and with a range of management levels that are designed to meet objectives that a single MPA cannot achieve”

Example 1: MPAN based on Ecological Consideration

MPA1MPA2

MPA3

Example 2: MPAN based on Socio-Economic Consideration

MPA1

MPA2

MARKET

Example 3: MPAN based on Governance Consideration

MPA1

MPA2

Example 4: MPAN based on all three (3) Considerations

MPA1

MPA2

MARKET

Closed fishing and MPAs

“We suggest tailoring spatial protection to the biology of

large pelagic fishes, including improved protection for

aggregation sites and migration corridors”

Some suggestions (SCS fisheries):

• Joint fish stock analysis and publication using

time-series fisheries data e,g. landed catch and

effort data, cruise surveys and satellite information

• Data sharing done through periodic assessment

workshops and reporting following e.g. the IUCN

framework

• Apply ecosystem-approach to fisheries management

(EAFM)

• Develop an Open Access Web Portal specific for SCS

similar to FishBase, MPA Database, IUCN Red List

• Inventory of all existing MPAs

• Establish a Joint MPA/MPAN Database published

an Open Access Web Portal

• Conduct joint study of MPAs in SCS to identify

possible areas that can be networked into an MPAN

• Create an informal technical working group for

MPAN in SCS

Some suggestions (SCS MPA networks):

… and many more, ask me later

• mudjiesantos@gmail.com

• facebook/Mudjekeewis Santos