The term "fisheries" includes "all activities relating to the act or business of fishing, culturing, preserving, processing, marketing, developing, conserving and managing of aquatic resources." Administratively, it is classified into commercial fisheries, municipal fisheries and aquaculture.

"Commercial fisheries" refers to fishing in marine waters beyond municipal waters with boats of more than three gross tons. "Municipal fisheries" involves fishing in coastal and inland waters with or without boats of three gross tons or less. "Aquaculture" is the breeding and growing of fish and other species in water.

The catch of commercial fishers mainly consists of roundscad (galunggong), Indian sardines

(tamban) and tunas. The bulk of municipal catch is made up of big-eyed scad (matang baka), frigate tuna (tulingan), roundscad and Indian mackerel (alumahan). Seaweeds, milkfish, tilapia and shrimp are the main produce from aquaculture.

In 2003, the Philippines produced 3,369,564 metric tons of fisheries products, 30.7 percent of which was from commercial fishing, 29.1 percent from municipal fishing and 40.2 percent from aquaculture.

The country ranked 12th in world fisheries production. It was the second largest producer of seaweeds and was fourth in global aquaculture.

Fish and fishery products are an important part of the Filipino diet, making up more than 12 percent of the total food consumed. Two-thirds of the animal protein requirement of our people is provided by fish. With population growth and changes in lifestyle and food preference, per capita consumption of fish in the country dropped from 36 kg/yr in 1993 to 28.5 kg/yr in 1997.

Despite the apparent abundance of fish supply in the country, however, there are ominous signs of threats to the sustainability of our fisheries resources. The catch of fisheries stocks in many traditional fishing grounds reached the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in the l990s. MSY is the highest volume of catch beyond which a fishery stock can no longer replenish itself. Fishing at a level above the MSY results in biological and economic overfishing. This means that overfished areas will eventually become depleted and fishers will suffer negative economic returns.

A study conducted on the demersal (deep water) fisheries stocks of the country in l986 showed that overfishing reduced the potential maximum yield by 30 percent compared to the level of fish stocks in the 1940s, and that fishing effort should be reduced by 60 percent to obviate the annual loss of US0 million representing the value of the potential stocks that could have been harvested at normal levels.

For the small pelagic (surface dwelling) fisheries which comprise more than 40 percent of our marine catch, the biological and economic overfishing is even more critical. Fishing effort in the mid-l980s was more than 200 percent of that for maintaining the MSY and the estimated economic loss was US0 million yearly.

Concomitant to overfishing is the degradation of aquatic ecosystems which economically-exploited species depend on for their support. The use of destructive fishing methods like muro-ami and blast fishing has wrought extensive and irreparable damage to coral reefs. The massive denudation of mangroves for logging and fishpond construction has also contributed to the decline in the productivity of our coastal waters.

The dwindling fish catch in municipal waters has had a negative economic impact on the small-scale fishers dependent on fisheries resources for their subsistence and livelihood. With the increasing number of fishers, overexploitation and environmental degradation, the average catch per fishing trip of municipal fisherfolk decreased from 4-6 kg in the l980s to only 1-2 kg in the 1990s. It is no wonder that small-scale fishers and their families have become marginalized and are among the "poorest of the poor."

Aggravating the precarious state of our fisheries resources is the fact that 20-30 percent of our annual total fish catch is spoiled and wasted because of poor handling and preservation methods as well as lack of adequate storage and processing facilities.

Since 1996, the contribution of aquaculture to fisheries production has steadily increased with technological development and the shift of emphasis from capture to culture. The Philippines is now a world-leader in the farm production of seaweeds, milkfish and tilapia.

Intensive culture of species in ponds and cages, however, has brought about aquatic pollution, diseases and fish kills in overcrowded pens and cages. The low productivity of our more than

200,000 hectares of brackish water ponds and the high cost of production inputs (i.e. fertilizers and feeds) are also major issues.

Various strategies and measures have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of our fisheries resources. For one, the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 has instituted the legal framework and mandate "for the development, management and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic resources" to achieve food security and ensure the sustainable development of such resources, among other purposes. The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization provides science-based guidelines for the protection, conservation and sustainable management of fisheries resources at the national and international levels.

For coastal fisheries, the establishment of marine protected areas, reserves or sanctuaries in many parts of the country has improved the catch of small-scale fishers while conserving biodiversity and promoting marine ecotourism. The organization of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMCs) to support local government units in the formulation and implementation of responsive fisheries ordinances particularly against destructive fishing practices and for fish sanctuaries has benefited fishing communities and the environment.

There is an urgent need to reduce the excessive fishing effort in overfished areas and to divert fishers to lightly fished areas while allowing the recovery of depleted fisheries resources to sustainable levels through "closed seasons" and other viable rehabilitation measures. Improvement of fish handling and processing methods as well as support for post-harvest infrastructure is imperative for reducing wastage and enhancing value-added products.

While aquaculture, such as seaweed farming, can provide alternative or supplemental livelihood opportunities to small-scale fishers who may be displaced from overfished areas, it should be responsibly applied by ensuring socioeconomic sustainability along with environmental protection.

Finally, the fisheries sector should be given the "high priority" it deserves in the political agenda of our country, a priority equal at least to agriculture. After all, we are a rice and fish-eating nation.