Municipal and Commercial Fisheries PDF

Municipal and Commercial Fisheries Prepared by: Dante M. Mendoza Overview of the Philippine Fisheries What is Fisheries? • Refers to all activities relating to the act or business of fishing, culturing, preserving, processing, marketing, developing, conserving and managing aquatic resources and...

Municipal and Commercial Fisheries Prepared by: Dante M. Mendoza Overview of the Philippine Fisheries What is Fisheries? • Refers to all activities relating to the act or business of fishing, culturing, preserving, processing, marketing, developing, conserving and managing aquatic resources and the fishery area including the privilege to fish or take aquatic resources thereof (RA 8550). • The application of scientific knowledge concerning fish populations to the problems of obtaining optimum production of fishery products, whether stated in tons of factory material or in hours of angling pressure (Everhart et al., 1975). Fishery Resources • 2,200,000 km2 territorial water (including EEZ) • 28 marine mammals • 18,000 km coastline • 19 species of seagrasses • 27,000 sq. km. of coral reef • 1,082 species of seaweeds • 3,212 fish species (731 are commercially important) • 46 species of mangroves • 2,645 marine • 251 brackishwater • 348 freshwater • 2,000 reef fishes • 168 sharks and rays • 648 molluss • 5 marine turtles • 550 corals • 500 hard • 50 soft Sub-Sectors of Philippine Fisheries • Aquaculture - operations involving all forms of raising and culturing fish and other fishery species in fresh, brackish and marine water areas. • Municipal marine fisheries - operate within municipal waters (15 km from the coastline) using fishing vessels of three (3) gross tons or less, or fishing not requiring the use of fishing vessels. • Commercial marine fisheries - operate beyond the municipal waters using fishing vessels more than three gross tons. • Small-scale (3.1 GT - 20 GT ) • Medium-scale (20.1 GT – 150 GT) • Large-scale (>150 GT) Global Contribution • The Philippines ranked 8th in terms of fish and aquatic products production globally. • The total production of 4.41 million MT of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc., constituted 2.07% of the world’s production of 213.65 million MT (FAO, 2021). • The country ranked 11th in terms of aquaculture with 858.28 thousand MT or 1.01% share of 85.34 million MT (FAO, 2021). • The Philippines is also the world’s 4th largest producer of aquatic plants, primarily seaweeds, with 1.50 million MT or 4.19% of the total world production of 35.82 million MT (FAO, 2021). Global Contribution • The Philippines ranked 11 in terms of marine annual catch with a contribution of 1.89 million tons or 1.89% of the world’s catch. Economic Contribution • Contributes 12.70% to the total GVA at current prices. • Ranked 3rd among the agricultural industry groups following Agricultural crops and Livestock which contributed 48.68% and 13.71% at current prices. • Capture fishing is the top fishery activity, covering 50.03% of all registered fisherfolks. This is followed by gleaning (11.59%) and aquaculture (11.28%). Production Status • The total fish production in 2021 reached 4,248,261.40 MT. • Aquaculture has the highest contribution which is accounted for 52.88% of total production. • Out of the total fisheries production of 4.248 million MT, the BARMM had the largest share with 23.79% or 1,010,804.29 MT. • Region IX had the highest production in commercial capture fisheries, while BARMM and MIMAROPA topped in the municipal capture fisheries and aquaculture sub-sectors, respectively. • For 2021, the value of total fisheries production was PhP 302,444,477.21. Among all regions, Region III had the highest contribution of 16.64%. Production Trend • In 2021, a 3.46% decrease in total fisheries production was observed, from 4.40 million MT last year to this year’s production of 4.25 million MT. • The decrease in production can be attributed to the 8.51% decline of seaweed, the top contributor to fisheries production. • On the other hand, yellowfin tuna, frigate tuna, and fimbriated sardines posted the highest decline with 24.16%, 21.88%, and 15.10%, respectively. Production Trend (by Subsector) • The total fisheries production is generally declining but it shows slight recovery in 2018 and 2019; however, dropped in 2021. • Ten-year trend showed a decreasing trend in terms of production volume, with an average annual growth rate of -1.43%. • Aquaculture exhibited the highest fisheries production (includes seaweed) among all the sub-sectors with peak in 2012 and trough in 2016; in 2021, aquaculture shared 52.88% of the total fisheries production volume, and 42.50% of the total fisheries production value. • Municipal sub-sector is consistently on a decline with slight recoveries in 2019 and 2021; it increased by 1.73% from previous year. • Commercial sub-sector on the other hand is on a fluctuating trend; with 2021 having the lowest commercial production in the past 10 years. Top 10 Commodities o Seaweed remained the top commodity produced in terms of volume with a record of 1,343,706.55 MT in 2021. o Following the ranking were tuna (10.88%), milkfish (10.51%), sardines (8.75%), and tilapia (8.00%). o In terms of value, milkfish recorded the highest with a contribution of Php 51.5 million. Aquaculture Production o Ten-year trend showed a decreasing trend in terms of production volume, with an average annual growth rate of -1.43%. o Seaweed was the top producing species among aquaculture species in 2021, contributing 31.63% share to the total fisheries production. o Out of the 2.25 million MT production of aquaculture in 2021, 2.20 million MT came from the production of the five (5) priority commodities. o Moreso, 62.69% of the total production was produced in Mariculture Parks. Export Volume and Value • 79% of the fish exports were fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other prepared or preserved forms; s registered 205,164 MT and accounted PhP 44.47 billion in terms of value. • 20.87% were shells, miscellaneous fishery products and other derivatives. Major Fishery Exports • When it comes to quantity, exported tuna and tuna products constitute 35.51%, of which were prepared and preserved while the rest is fresh/chilled/frozen. • In terms of value, tuna generated the most with 33.30% share of the total value exported, followed by seaweeds with 18.80% share and, crabs/crabs fat & crab meat with 14.44% share. Tuna Export • In terms of volume, exported tuna and tuna products registered 91,754 MT, 89.09% of which were either prepared, preserved or dried. • Japan got the largest bulk of tuna products from the Philippines, previously held by Germany, amounting to 14,972 MT. Seaweed Export • In 2021, seaweed exports reached 30,170 MT with corresponding value of PhP 207.18 billion. • USA, Netherlands, and Spain were the top countries of destination with 29.78%, 7.76%, and 6.50%, respectively Shrimp/Prawn Export • Shrimps and Prawns contributed 2.41% of the total export value in 2021. • Of which, 82.02% were exported as Frozen while the remaining 17.98% were exported as fresh or chilled, dried, and prepared and preserved. • The destinations of these products include USA, Japan, China, Korea, France, Guam, and Taiwan among others. Major Destinations • Out of 258,374 MT that was exported in 2021, 18.89% was exported to China, 18.03% to USA and 10.61% to Japan. • Others were exported to Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Hongkong. Import Volume and Value • The country’s volume of imported fish and fishery products in 2021 reached 533,235 MT, equivalent to a total value of PhP 36.89 billion. • The majority of the total fish imports were fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other prepared or preserved forms, which recorded 478,843 MT or PhP 32.72 billion. • The remaining 10.20% were shells, miscellaneous fishery products and other derivatives. Major Fishery Import • Tuna had the highest cost of imports, comprising 33.67% of the total CIF value for imports. • The majority of the imported tuna came from Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and Nauru, sharing 18.23%, 4.16%, and 2.97% of the total volume imported. • Mackerel, the second highest imported commodity for 2021, came from China and Japan. Import Origins o Out of 533,235 MT of imported fish and fish products, 73.29% originated from China, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Japan and Thailand Balance of Trade • In 2021, the Philippines recorded a trade deficit of 274,818 MT in terms of volume as fishery imports reached 258,417 MT while exports recorded at 533,235 MT. Meanwhile, the country generated USD 390 million in terms of value, 5.26% lower than the value in 2020 (PSA,2022). Fishery Product Consumption • Filipinos consume fish and fish products the most next to rice and rice products; 11.68% of the total intake of each Filipino is composed of fish products which is equivalent to 93.90 grams/day. • 63.00% higher than meat and meat products, and 206.00% higher than poultry. Fishery Product Consumption • According to 2018-2019 DOST-FNRI each Filipino: • consumes an average of 34.27 kg/year of fish and fish products • comprising of 23.36 kg of fresh fish, 2.85 kg of dried fish (as fresh fish), 4.97 kg of processed fish and 3.10 kg of crustaceans and mollusks. Annual Retail Prices • In terms of retail prices, shrimp (sugpo), seaweeds (lato), and roundscad had the highest increase in prices per kilogram from 2018-2021 by PhP 59.53, PhP 57.21, and PhP 41.23 respectively. Major Fishing Grounds Seas Sea - great body of salt water that covers much of territorial waters Bays Bay - parts of the sea partially enclosed by land and rich in fishery resources. Is wellmarked indentation whose penetration is in such proportion to the width of the mouth as to contain land-locked waters and constitute more than a mere curvature of the coast. An indentation shall not, however, be regarded as bay unless its area is as large as, or larger than, that of the semi-cycle whose diameter is a line drawn across the mouth of that indentation Gulfs Gulf - larger than a bay arm of sea or ocean enclosed by large amounts of land Channels and Passages Channel - a waterway that passes between two land masses, connecting two bodies of water and permitting the passage of boats or larger vessels. Passage - a narrow navigable channel, especially one through reefs or islands and sometimes called a pass. Straits Strait - a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water. Major Lakes Lake - an inland body of water, an expanded part of a river, a reservoir formed by a dam, or a lake basin formerly covered by water. Issues Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs) • Bays, gulfs, lakes or any other fishery areas which may be delineated for fishery resource management purposes. • Under FAO 263, the Philippine Waters is delineated into 12 FMAs, based on considerations of stocks distribution, structure of fisheries and administrative divisions. Closed Fishing Season o Closed fishing season in various areas are annually implemented as a marine conservation measure to allow fish stocks to replenish and recover, ensuring the abundance of such species in the area. Municipal Fisheries Municipal Fisheries • As defined under Republic Act (RA) 8550 otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 and as amended by RA 10654, municipal fisheries is traditional, artisanal, subsistence or small-scale activities that involves the use of vessels with 3 gross tons (GT) or less as well as fishing operations that do not use fishing boats while commercial fisheries include all fishing operations that use vessels of over 3.1 GT. • Inland fishing activities are also considered as part of municipal fishing that operate in enclosed freshwater areas such as lakes and reservoirs using vessels of 3 GT or less. • The country has almost 500,000 ha of inland bodies of water, comprising 246,000 ha of swamp lands, 200,000 ha of lakes, 31,000 ha of rivers, and 19,000 ha of reservoirs. • Municipal fishing activities are regulated by the local government. Municipal Fishers • Municipal fishers are not only those who do actual fishing activities but often includes other sectors or groups that may or may not be directly dependent on fishing as their main livelihood (fish processors, fish vendors, and fish buyers). • There are also non-fishing livelihood activities that depend on fishing in a community such as boat building, net making and store vending. • The women in municipal fishing communities are often seen in the pre- and post-harvest activities. Municipal Waters • Include not only streams, lakes, inland bodies of water and tidal waters within the municipality which are not included within the protected areas as defined under Republic Act No. 7586 (The NIPAS Law), public forest, timber lands, forest reserves or fishery reserves, but also marine waters included between two (2) lines drawn perpendicular to the general coastline from points where the boundary lines of the municipality touch the sea at low tide and a third line parallel with the general coastline including offshore inlands and fifteen (15) kilometers from such coastline. Municipal Waters • A 15-km expanse of waters has been classified as “municipal waters”, falling under the jurisdiction of local municipal and city governments. • Where two (2) municipalities are so situated on opposite shores that there is less than thirty (30) kilometers of marine waters between them, the third line shall be equally distant from opposite shore of the respective municipalities. • The guidelines for delineating municipal waters have been issued through DA Administrative Order 1, Series of 2004 to identify and define the territorial limits of municipalities and cities. • Commercial fishing is not allowed in municipal waters unless special ordinances approving this activity are approved by the municipal or city councils. Municipal Waters • The municipal/city government shall have jurisdiction over municipal waters as defined in the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. • The municipal/city government, in consultation with the FARMC is responsible for the management, conservation, development, protection, utilization and disposition of all fish and fishery/aquatic resources within their respective municipal waters. • The municipal/city government may, in consultation with the FARMC, enact appropriate ordinances for this purpose and in accordance with the National Fisheries Policy. • The ordinances enacted by the municipality and component city were reviewed pursuant to Republic Act No. 7160 by the sanggunian of the province which has jurisdiction over the same. The LGUs also enforce all fishery laws, rules and regulations as well as valid fishery ordinances enacted by the municipal/city council. Municipal Waters • The management of contiguous fishery resources such as bays which straddle several municipalities, cities or provinces, shall be done in an integrated manner, and shall not be based on political subdivisions of municipal waters in order to facilitate their management as single resource systems. • The LGUs, which share or border such resources may group them and coordinate with each other to achieve the objectives of integrated fishery resource management. • The Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (IFARMCs) established under Section 76 of Philippine Fisheries Code serve as the venues for close collaboration among LGUs in the management of contiguous resources. Municipal Fishing Boats • Typically, municipal fishers operate a small boat called a banca, that is usually made of marine plywood and relatively narrow and lightly constructed. Most are furnished with outriggers for stability. Bancas can be non-motorized or motorized type. • Non-Motorized Type • • • • • Length overall (LOA) ranges from 3-7 m and gross tonnage ranges from 0.10.2. Used either paddle or sail as means of propulsion. Carry one to several people depending on the fishing gear used. Generally, paddled boats have the fishers facing the front without oarlocks. During favorable monsoon weather, popular fishing gears used by sailpowered craft include trolling, handlines and gill nets. • Motorized Type • • • • • Length overall (LOA) ranges from 5-18 m and gross tonnage ranges from 0.52.9. Boats with 3-16 HP gasoline or diesel engine are the most common motorized fishing craft. The rudder is controlled by means of a long pole attached to the rudder arm. Gill nets, handlines, traps, small ringnets, and other small gears are usually operated from these boats. Recent innovations include the use of fiberglass to sheath the areas of the hull most prone to damage. Number of Registered Municipal Fishing Boats • The total number of fishing vessels registered as of 2021 is 209,126. • 64% are motorized while 37% are nonmotorized. • >17% of which are from Region VI, contributing the largest number of municipal fishing vessels of 35,995. • This was followed by Region V with 13.37% equivalent to, 27,966 vessels, and Region IV-A with 12.49% or equivalent to 26,125 vessels. Allowed and Banned Fishing Gears in Municipal Waters • There are many types of fishing gears used in the municipal waters in the Philippines such as gill net, hook and line, fish traps, fish corral, baby trawl, spear, push net, crab lift net, lift net, lever net, and fyke net. • Gillnets and handlines were the most common gears utilized in catching fishes both in coastal and inland bodies of water. • In 2002, the most common fishing gear used by municipal fishers is the hook and line with 9.45 million units, followed by the gill net with 1.19 million units. • There are also fishing gears that are totally banned in municipal waters due to their destructive effects or fail to satisfy the requirement for sustainable fisheries, to wit (FAO 201 series of 200): • • • • • • • • • Trawl (all kinds)- galadgad, Norway Purse seine- pangulong Danish seine- Hulbot-hulbot, liba-liba Ring net- kubkob, kalansisi Drive-in-net- pa-aling Round haul seine- sapyaw Motorized push net- sudsod Bag net- basnig Fishing gears using compressors Municipal Fishing Operation (Structure and Sharing system) • Primary and related activities are generally done the whole year, but specific fishing gears are used depending on the climatic conditions and target species. • Fishing is also characterized by lean and peak season. • Fishers may also use a variety of gears, often shifting dependent on the season. • Capitalization for fishing can be as low as PhP30 for those who use spears and as high as PhP150,000.00 for owners of fish corrals. • Women glean and fish using torches in the tidal flats. • In situations when some fishers do not have a boat, they often go with their relatives or friends when fishing. • In a boat with two fishers, the boat owner normally gets 1/3 of the catch and the remaining 2/3 are divided amongst the two fishers. • In areas where tourism abounds, some fishers also rent their boat to tourists. Municipal Fishing Operation (Registration and Licensing) • Under Sections 17 to 22 of RA 8550, the LGUs are mandated to maintain a registry of municipal fishing vessels by type of gear and other vessel particulars and require the annual updating of the registry of municipal fishers • The Executive Order no. 305 devolved to municipal and city governments the registration of fishing vessels three (3) gross tonnage below. • LGUs, in consultation with the Municipal/City Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council (FARMC), shall enact ordinance prescribing the procedures of registration and imposing penalties for non-registration. Municipal Fisherfolk Organization/Cooperative • A duly registered association of fisherfolk with a common bond of interest, who have voluntarily joined together to achieve a lawful common social or economic end, making equitable contribution to the capital requirement and accepting a fair share of the risks and benefits of the undertakings in accordance with universally accepted cooperative. • Fisherfolk organization/cooperatives, whose members are listed in the registry of municipal fisherfolk, may be granted use of demarcated fishery areas to engage in fish capture, mariculture and/or fish farming. • Resident municipal fisherfolk of the municipality concerned and their organizations/cooperatives shall have priority to exploit municipal and demarcated fishery areas of the said municipality. Municipal Fishing Production • Of the 2.0 million MT capture fisheries production, marine municipal fisheries shared 26.6%. • Of this, 81.84% came from marine fisheries and the remaining 18.16% came from inland fisheries. • BARMM was the top producing region for municipal fisheries in 2021 in terms of volume and value of production. Marine Municipal Catch • In terms of share in the volume of production in 2021, the top five (5) major species in the Marine Municipal Fisheries sub-sector are tuna (11.70%), sardines (10.85%), Big-eyed scad (6.47%), mackerel (5.93%) and tilapia (5.21%) Inland Municipal Catch • Under Inland Municipal Fisheries sub-sector, the top produced species in 2021 are tilapia (28.68%), snail (12.30%), mudfish (11.55%) and catfish (7.98%). Incentives (Municipal) • At least ten percent (10%) of the credit and the guarantee funds of government financing institutions are made available for post-harvest and marketing projects for the purpose of enhancing our fisherfolk competitiveness by reducing post-harvest losses. • Qualified projects include, but limited to, ice plants, cold storage, canning, warehouse, transport and other related infrastructure projects and facilities; and • Capability-building program is developed by the government to promote greater bankability and credit worthiness of municipal and small-scale commercial fishers. • Such program includes organizing activities, technology transfer, and skills training related to commercial fishing as well as credit management. • Information campaigns are made to promote the capability-building and credit programs. The campaign ensure greater information dissemination and accessibility to targeted fisherfolk. Commercial Fisheries Commercial Fisheries • Commercial fisheries refers to fishing beyond the municipal waters using fishing vessels more than three gross tons. • Commercial fishing is classified into: a) small scale – making use of passive or active gear and utilizing fishing vessels of 3.1-20 GT; b) medium scale – utilizing active gears and vessels of 20.1150 GT; and c) large scale – utilizing active gears and vessels of more than 150 GT. • Commercial fishing vessels are required to fish outside municipal waters, which is beyond 15 km off the shoreline and are required to secure commercial fishing vessel and gear license (CFVGL) from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which is subject to renewal every three (3) years. • Commercial fishers can be divided to those operating mainly in Philippine waters, and those that can operate beyond our territorial limits. An example of the latter is the country’s distant-water fishing fleet, which conducts purse seine operations in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. • Commercial fishing is regulated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture (DA-BFAR). Commercial Fishing Vessels • There are 923 operators and 4,675 valid commercial fishing vessels as of 2021 (BFAR FRLD, 2022). • 17.7% of these commercial fishing vessels are large-scale, 48.19% are medium-scale and 44.64% are small-scale. • 32% were from Region XII, followed by NCR with 15.98% or 747 fishing vessels and Region IX with 511or 10.93% share to the total valid commercial fishing vessel. Commercial Fishing Operation (Purse Seine Crew Structure) • The most common commercial fishing operation is that of a purse seine. • About 40-50 individuals are employed in one purse seine operation. • The operator or the capitalist of a purse seiner provides the capital and technology. • The next in line is the encargado who oversees the outfit’s operations whenever the operator is absent, and looks after the crewmembers. • Some purse seine operators do not have an encargado, instead, the master fisherman, sometimes called the boat captain becomes the highest-ranking member. • The segundo (next in command) takes over operations whenever the master fisherman is unavailable or unable to join the trip. Commercial Fishing Operation (Purse Seine Crew Structure) • The tersero takes on the role and responsibilities of the master fisherman or segundo when the situation requires it. • The rank-and-file crewmembers are called the pansan or the lambateros who are responsible for hauling the net and sorting of the catch; further classified into groups, depending on whether they work in the stern, prow or center of the boat; there are about 20 lambateros in one purse seine operation. • The rest of the crew is made up of the bodegero (in charge of sorting and storing catch), lawagero (responsible for the lightboats pointing good locations for setting), cook, chief mechanic and his assistant and the boleros. The lowest in rank are the boleros, who are not regular members of the crew and participate in fishing operations only on some occasions. Commercial Fishing Operation (Purse Seine Sharing Systems) • Komon system - the total net income in one fishing trip is divided in a way where the operator gets 26.5 shares from the komon while the rest is divided among the 40-50 crewmembers. • Dyaryo system - a small fraction of a night’s catch is divided amongst the crewmembers; its not fixed and is often dependent of what is perceived by the master fisherman as a “fair share” for the crewmembers. • Remedyo system - regular salaries are provided; on top of this, the crew are allowed to get the fish they caught using their own handline, all the small fish that are entangled in the net and they are given fish by the master fisherman on occasions of very high catch. Commercial Fishing Operation (Work distribution - FAD-fishers) • Among the ranks of FAD-based fishers, the master fishers, boat captains, master netters, and divers are the ones who are the most knowledgeable on fishing operations. • These fishers are experts who can provide reliable information on fish behavior because of their constant exposure to the fishing areas during their daily fishing operations. • Piado (master fisher): • oversees the fishing fleet in the fishing ground. • has both the navigational and leadership skills to lead in the boat. • crafts and executes fishing expeditions and he decides when and where to deploy the FADs. • familiar and knowledgeable of the movement patterns of fish, current directions, and waves. • accustomed to the flow of the weather in the area and its impacts on the fishing grounds. Commercial Fishing Operation (Work distribution - FAD-fishers) • Kapitan (the boat captain and second in command): • possesses navigational skills in oceanographic knowledge. • exposed to daily fishing operations. using compass, maps, GPS, and • Maestro bosero (master diver; third in rank): • gets the estimates of the biomass of fish gathered below an FAD during monitoring or before an FAD can be lighted or set. • Maestro pokotero (master netter): • oversees the deployment of nets during fishing operations and is in charge of keeping collection of the nets clean and organized. Commercial Fishing Operation (Tuna Handline Crew Structure) • Types of handline fisher: the palaran and the pamariles (in General Santos). The palaran handliner is confined in the municipal waters, while pamariles fishers can venture to distant waters that are even beyond the Philippine EEZ. • In pamariles, the start-up capital for a fishing venture varies, depending on the duration, fishing ground and crew capacity of the vessel. • A small pumpboat can carry up to 8 fishers, while vessels of average size are capable of carrying 12-15 fishers. The bigger pumpboat can carry up to 20 crew or fishers. Each pumpboat has an operator who takes the role of captain and is, therefore, in command of the fishing operation. There is also a chief mechanic on board who takes charge of the pump boat's engine. The rest of the crew is composed of fishers. Commercial Fishing Operation (Tuna Handline Sharing Systems) • There are several players in the pamariles fishing operation, namely, fishers, financiers, brokers, boatowners and the pumpboat operator. • Lilima - refers to the share of the fisher, which is equivalent to one-fifth or 20 per cent of the actual gross sale of his captured tuna for every fishing expedition. The financier usually gets 10 per cent commission from the gross sales of all captured tuna, while the broker or the one who disposes the fish gets 5 percent. The start-up capital will also be taken from the gross sales and given back to the financier. Once the share of the fishers, commission of financiers and brokers, incidental expenses, and start-up capital are deducted from the gross sales, the leftover money becomes the net sale of the fishing expedition. This net sale will then be divided between the boatowner and the operator. The operator usually gets 15–25 per cent, depending on the turnout of the expedition, while the rest of the money will go to the boatowner. In cases when a segunda operator or chief mechanic is also on board, he gets 5 –15 percent of the net sales. • Sukod - the operator is considered a partner of the boatowner in terms of benefits and costs. Thus, if the fishing expedition loses money, the operator gets to absorb the losses too, like the boatowners. There is no fixed date or duration for the boatowner to pay off his/her financial obligation to the financier, since fishing turnover is highly unpredictable. If the boatowner is lucky, he/she can pay his/her debt in a few months’ time, while others take a year-and-a-half to recover. There are also cases when a boatowner becomes so nose-deep in debt that he/she has to give up the boat to the financier as a form of repayment. Commercial Fishing Operation (Registration and Licensing) • According to the law, no commercial fishing vessel license shall be issued except to citizens of the Philippines, partnerships or to associations, cooperatives or corporations duly registered in the Philippines at least sixty percent (60%) of the capital stock of which is owned by Filipino citizens. • No person to whom a license has been issued shall sell, transfer or assign, directly or indirectly, his stock or interest therein to any person not qualified to hold a license. • Any such transfer, sale or assignment shall be null and void and shall not be registered in the books of the association, cooperative or corporation. • For purposes of commercial fishing, fishing vessels owned by citizens of the Philippines, partnerships, corporations, cooperatives or associations qualified under this section shall secure Certificates of Philippine Registry and such other documents as are necessary for fishing operations from the concerned agencies provided, that the commercial fishing vessel license shall be valid for a period to be determined by the Department. • The registration, documentation, inspection and manning of the operation of all types of fishing vessels plying Philippine waters shall be in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations Commercial Fishing Operation (Licensing) • Fisheries Administrative Order No. 223 s. 2003 served as moratorium on the issuance of new Commercial Fishing Vessel and gear License (CFVGL) as part of a precautionary approach to fisheries management. • All owners/operators shall register their commercial fishing vessels and gears, whether or not licensed by the BFAR and whether or not registered by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), with the BFAR or its regional offices having jurisdiction where the owner/operator is holding office. • No fee whatsoever shall be changed for such registration and the forms to be used for the purpose. • The commercial fishing boat license shall be renewed every three (3) years. The owner/operator of a fishing vessel has a period of sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the license within which to renew the same • Fishing vessels of Philippine registry may operate in international waters or waters of other countries which allow such fishing operations: Provided, That they comply with the safety, manning and other requirements of the Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority and other agencies concerned: Provided, however, That they secure an international fishing permit and certificate of clearance from the Department: Provided, further, That the fish caught by such vessels shall be considered as caught in Philippine waters and therefore not subject to all import duties and taxes only when the same is landed in duly designated fish landings and fish ports in the Philippines: Provided, furthermore, That landing ports established by canneries, seafood processors and all fish landing sites established prior to the effectivity of this Code shall be considered authorized landing sites: Provided, finally, That fishworkers on board Philippine registered fishing vessels conducting fishing activities beyond the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone are not considered as overseas Filipino workers. Commercial Fishing Vessel/Gear License (CFVGL) • The commercial fishing vessel/gear license (CFVGL) authorizes fishing vessel operators to fish within commercial waters (>15 km from the shoreline) of the Philippines pursuant to Sec. 26 of R.A. 8550. • However, this is not valid for fishing operation in municipal waters and high seas or waters of other countries. • This document is valid for three (3) years except for paaling fishing vessels which is valid only for one (1) year. • New CFVGL is issued in BFAR Central Office while renewal of CFVGL is delegated to BFAR Regional Offices. • Only original CFVGL is required to be carried and poste in a conspicuous place on board the fishing vessel. • The operators must also register all fishing gears used by the fishing vessel pursuant to Sec. 29 of R.A. 8550. Registration of the fishing gear is required prior to licensing. • It contains mesh size specifications; issued only once except when there is/are modification/s in the fishing gear specifications and only catcher vessels are issued with fishing gear registration. International Fishing Permit • An international fishing permit authorizes the fishing vessel to conduct fishing operation in waters of other Coastal States and high seas pursuant to Sec. 32 of R.A. 8550. • This is valid for three (3) years; issued to all kinds of fishing vessels (catchers, carriers, lightboats, etc.) on the condition that these vessels are authorized by the Coastal State where they are fishing. • It is issued only in BFAR Central Office. BFAR Regional Offices are not authorized to issue IFP. At present, BFAR has fully implemented BFAR Administrative Circular No. 252 series of 2014 on the Rules and Regulations Governing Distant Water Fishing by Philippine-flagged fishing vessels. • This requires VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) enrollment, observer coverage, landing declaration of catch of all Philippine-flagged fishing vessels fishing in RFMO areas. • Vessels carrying the Philippine flag are now being monitored through a fully functional VMS particularly for those fishing in HSP-1, ICCAT and IOTC areas, including Philippine flag bearing fishing vessels authorized to fish in waters of third countries (ex. Papua New Guinea). Certificate of Ownership • The certificate of ownership (CO) establishes the legal owner of the fishing vessel. • It is issued by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and contains important information of the fishing vessel such as length overall, gross tonnage, engine power and make, and registration number. • CO has no validity period and is issued only once except when there is transfer of ownership. Certificate of Philippine Registry • The certificate of Philippine Registry (CPR) registers the fishing vessel under Philippine flag, which is also issued by MARINA. • It also contains important information of the fishing vessel such as length overall, gross tonnage, engine power and make, and registration number. • Like CO, CPR has no validity period and is issued only once except when there is transfer of ownership. Shipstation License • A shipstation license is a requirement to all maritime vessels. It assigns the radio frequency and the International Radio Call Sign (IRCS) of the fishing vessel. • The standard format for Philippine callsigns is 2×3 – where 2 stands for the prefix letters (4D-4I or DU-DZ), and 3 stands for the suffix letters, both of which are assigned and regulated by the National Telecommunications Commission. • In the Philippines, it is issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and indicates the IRCS or the WCPFC Identification Number (WIN). Special Fishing Permit • The Flag State issues a special fishing permit (SFP) that authorizes Philippine-flagged fishing vessels to conduct fishing and fishingrelated operations in WCPFC High Seas Pocket No. 1 pursuant to FAO 245, series of 2012. • This is valid for one (1) year only and issued only in BFAR Central Office. BFAR Regional Offices are not authorized to issue SFP. Catcher vessels are required to secure this document (e.g. purse seine & ring net vessels). • Carriers and lightboats are not required to have SFP. The State where the fishing activity will be conducted may also require other documents. Commercial Fishing Production • In 2021, the top producing regions for commercial fisheries were Regions IX, XII, and BARMM with recorded volume of 233,771 MT, 231,496 MT, and 95,967 MT, respectively. • Meanwhile, the highest value of production, at current prices, is in Region XII with PhP 20.13 billion, Region IX with PhP 10.01 billion, and Region VI with PhP 6.74 billion. Commercial Catch • Tuna was the top produced commodity in commercial fisheries in 2021 with 37.93% share to the sub-sectoral production or equivalent to 329.98 thousand MT. • Following the ranking were sardines (28.62%), roundscad (15.84%), big-eyed scad (4.03%), and mackerel (3.38%). • As for the production value at current prices, tuna also had the largest share with 45.50%. Incentives (Commercial) • Long term loans supported by guarantee facilities to finance the building and acquisition and/or improvement of fishing vessels and equipment. • Commercial fishing vessel operators of Philippine registry will enjoy a limited period of tax and duty exemptions on the importation of fishing vessels not more than five (5) years old, equipment and paraphernalia, the period of exemptions and guidelines are fixed within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of Ra 8550. • Commercial fishing operator of Philippine registry engaged in fisheries in the high seas is entitled to duty and tax rebates on fuel consumption for commercial fisheries operations. • All applicable incentives available under the Omnibus Investment Code of 1987: Provided, That the fishing operation project is qualified for registration and is duly registered with the BOI. High Seas • High seas are part of the sea which extends beyond the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of a State. • High Seas Pocket No. 1 - Area of the high seas bound by the EEZ of the Federated States of Micronesia to the north and east, Republic of Palau to the west, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to the south. • High Seas Pocket No. 2 - Area of high seas bounded by the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Cook Islands to the west, French Polynesia to the east and Kiribati to the north. • High Seas Pocket 3 and 4 - Additional high seas pockets which FFA has proposed to also close to purse seine fishing • Mati-matihan - High Seas Pocket adjacent to the East of Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), South the Japanese EEZ and North of the Palau’s EEZ • Note: The high seas are open to all States, whether coastal or land-locked; Fishing vessels fishing in High Seas Pocket 1 (HSP-1 SMA) cannot fish in High Seas Pocket 2 (Eastern High Seas SMA). Legal basis to fish in the high seas • The conditional “freedom to fish” established by relevant provisions of UNCLOS and the ancillary Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) gives all states the right to fish the high seas subject to the conditions established by the provisions of these and other agreements to which those states are party. Philippine‐registered vessels in the WCPFC The fishing vessels registered in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) are identified with the ports name of Batangas, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Cotabato, General Santos City and Manila. Thank you! References • BFAR. 2021. Philippine Fisheries Profile. Department of Agriculture. BFAR. Available at: https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2020-Fisheries-Profile-Final.pdf • Hipolito, Z. and Cruz Vera, C.A. 2006. The Philippines tuna industry: a profile. Available at: https://studylib.net/doc/8377607/the-philippines-tuna-industry--a-profile • Macusi, E.D., Abreo, N.A.S. and Babaran, R.P. 2017. Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) on Fish Behavior Around Anchored FADs: the Case of Tuna Purse Seine and Ringnet Fishers from Southern Philippines. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00188 • Padilla, J., Tolosa, M., Benavidez, P. and Agsaoay-Sano, E. (ND). Development of National and Local Government Fisheries Registration and Licensing Frameworks for the Philippines: Registration and Licensing Frameworks for the Municipal Capture Fisheries Sector of the Philippines. • Rivera, R., Turcotte, D., Alexander, B.H., Pangilinan, J. and Santos, R. 2002. Aquatic resources in the Philippines and the extent of poverty in the sector. Available at: https://docplayer.net/58053342-Aquatic-resources-in-the-philippines-and-the-extent-ofpoverty-in-the-sector.html • Rosario, G.R. 2017. Municipal Fisheries. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/GeromeRosario/municipal-fisheries