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Good Volunteer Leaders for Sustainability of CRM

and Livelihood Diversification Project of Fisherfolk Organization

1. Through the Local Government Code of 1991 and Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, themunicipal/city Local Government Units (LGUs) are given the mandate and authority to manage natural

resources. For the fisheries resources, fisheries management has been done through the coastal resourcemanagement (CRM) approach that requires coordination of the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of

Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources

(DENR) and active participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and fisherfolk organizations.

2. In a news item titled “No more big fish; overfishing blamed” (PDI, 09/13/11), it is stated that

through the BFAR national stock assessment program, 10 of the 13 fishing grounds that had been mapped

are “very heavily exploited” and these areas have over 70 fishermen per square kilometer which are

indicative that fishing activities should be reduced. The heavily exploited waters are located in Lingayen

Gulf, northern Zambales, Visayan Sea, Camotes Sea, Honda Bay, Babuyan Channel, Lagonoy Gulf,

Sorsogon Bay, Hinatuan and Dinagat Bay, and Davao Gulf. BFAR is expected to formulate fishery

regulatory measures through Fishery Administrative Order to reverse the trend of overfishing in said

areas.

3. On the other hand, data on annual marine fish catch from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics

(BAS) and data on population poverty incidence from the National Statistical Coordination Board

(NSCB) may be used to arrive at certain analysis on the general status of the marine fisheries and povertylevel at the provincial level as presented below.

a. During the period 1980-2010, Bohol registered annual marine fish catch that peaked in 1994 at

more than 30,000 m.t. and significantly decreased to 15,500 m.t. in 2010 (Graph 1). Incidentally,

population poverty incidence had increased from 45.3% in 2003 to 48.3% in 2009.

Graph 1

45.3 51.9 48.3

Povertyincidence

b. For Romblon province, annual marine fish catch had significantly increased from 3,605 m.t. in

1998 to 6,673 m.t. in 2002, and thereafter it became erratic (Graph 2) which is an indication of overfished

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/57797/no-more-big-fish-overfishing-blamed

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/57797/no-more-big-fish-overfishing-blamed



status. Despite the high fishing pressure, Romblon fish catch did not show declining trend. This could

be due to the fact that there is an upwelling area between Romblon island and Sibuyan island where mass

production of phytoplankton occurs and supports the food webs of the pelagic fish such as sardine and

tuna. But the very minimal annual catch growth of only 0.7% could have contributed to the increase in

population poverty incidence from 42.4% in 2003 to 54% in 2009.

Graph 2

42.2 50.3 54.0

c. For Zamboanga del Norte, during the period 1990-2010 (Graph 3), total marine municipal fish

catch has been on the decline while commercial fish catch has leveled off or became erratic indicating

overfished status of the marine fishery. Incidentally, Zamboanga del Norte’s population poverty

incidence has not much improved being 64.2% in 2003, 59.5% in 2006 and 61.6% in 2009.

Graph 3

Total Marine Fish /Sardine (Tamban) Catch inZamboangadel Norte

C a t c h i n M e t r i c T o n s64.2% 59.5% 61.6% (population poverty

incidence)

17,683

68,572

122,735

93,256

72,468

66,620

54,946 54,190

57,525 57,479

1,8653,589

13,15013,416

19,014

18,431

20,252

22,891

26,748 26,724

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

mun com

Marine Fish Catch inZamboangadel Norte

C a t c h i n M e t r i c t o n s

d. Based on the BAS data, the total annual sardine (tamban) catch in the Zamboanga peninsula



(Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur) showed

significant increase from 88,224 m.t. in 2002 to 223,255 m.t. in 2010. Graph 5 shows that for

Zamboanga del Norte alone, sardine (tamban) catch for municipal fishers showed slight increase while

that of commercial fishers showed slight decrease . This could be one of the basis why BFAR said that

there will be no catching of sardines during their spawning period from December 1 to March 1 next year in the waters of Zamboanga del Norte. (“BFAR imposes closed season on sardines,” Inquirer, 10/22/11).

It must be noted that Zamboanga del Norte’s sardine catch represents only 12.75% and 9.6% of the totalsardine catch for the whole peninsula in 2002 and 2010, respecitvely. But it is a fact that the volume of

sardine catch comes from the waters of Zamboanga del Norte. The main reasons are: big commercial

fishing boats intrude into the municipal waters and direct trading in fishing grounds that make possible

the direct shipment of the more or less 90% of the total sardine catch in the peninsula to the fish landings

and canning factories in Zamboanga City. Zamboanga del Norte’s total marine fish catch could have

been increasing if the municipal waters will not be subjected to too much intrusion by big commercial

fishing boats coming from Zamboanga city.

Graph 4 Graph 5

82,164 77,75089,952

122,514

93,75481,986

115,419

209,012207,323

6,080 7,69910,383

22,57418,304 16,530

10,83813,259

15,932

88,244 85,449

100,335

145,088

112,058

98,516

126,257

222,271

223,255

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

C omm er ci a m un ic ip al t ot al

Total Sardine (Tamban) Catch inZamboangaPeninsula

C a t c h i n M e t r i c T o n s

7,797 7,306 7,924

5,875

4,764 4,233

5,6505,260

5,710

3,308

3,589

5,739

11,471

8,7569,646

7,5937,692

9,784

11,105

10,895

13,663

17,346

13,52013,879

13,243 12,952

15,494

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013

comml sardine municipal sardine total

Sardine (Tamban) catch inZamboangadel Norte


e. The trend on annual sardine catch as presented in Graph 4 and Graph 5 jibes with the observation

as discussed in the Oceanography magazine article titled “Monsoon-driven coastal upwelling off

Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines” which stated that (1) sardine fishing seasons with the highest landed

fish catch occurred during El Niño years (2004-2005 and 2009-2010), (2) lowest fish catch occurredduring La Niña years (1999-2000 and 2007-2008) , and (3) causes for the decline are still not well

understood but may be related either to shifts in the exploitation level towards overfishing and/or

modulation of upwelling. Upwelling effected by El Niño brings the nutrient-rich deeper water column to

shallower depths which are then utilized in the massive production of phytoplankton which are the

primary producers that support the food webs of large population of pelagic fish like sardines and tuna.

f. For Surigao del Sur, total marine fish catch had dropped significantly from more than 25,000 m.t.

in 1990 to more than 16,000 m.t. in 1996 after which it has become erratic; but the commercial fish catch

showed consistent but minimal increase during the period 1996-2010 (Graph 6) . Incidentally, the

population poverty incidence has increased from 42.6% in 2006 to 44.9% in 2009.



Graph 6

4,207

13,678

3,3531,696

15,100

11,052 10,738

13,33313,541

14,432

10,976

12,02812,050

77 68

3,994

1,022 1,031 761926

943935

874 1,002 1,039 1,043

4,284

13,746

7,347

2,718

16,131

11,81311,664

14,276 14,47615,306

11,97813,06713,093

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

1980198519901995199619971998199920002001200220032004

mun com total

Marine Fish Catch in Surigao del Sur


4. The graphs presented in item no. 3 above showed that the municipal waters of the 4 provinces

showed signs of overfishing. The overfished status of a municipal water or a particular fishing ground

can be determined by getting the data on fish catch through representative sampling of fishing gears usedand their corresponding catch at regular monthly interval. Another method is to determine the relative

size of the major species being caught in the municipal water or particular fishing ground to be managed;relative size (RS) can be computed by dividing the average length at capture of a particular specie by the

known or observed maximum length of the specie. RS of more than 0.5 could mean that the specie is not

yet overfished while below 0.5 it means there is overfishing. In the case of Indian sardine, the RS at 0.5

which is equal to 14 cm total length means that the minimum size of tamban allowed for catching is 14

cm which is very close to 15 cm which is the length at first maturity.

The RS approach is almost similar to the use of the Fish Ruler as shown in the illustration below which

states: Ipinapakita sa panukat na ito ang pinakamaliit na sukat ng mga isdang nasa hustong gulang o laki

para hulihin. The RS and Fish Ruler approach is called practical science which can serve as basis for

fishing regulation through a municipal ordinance.

5. The decreasing or erratic trend in the annual marine fish catch may not be only due to

overfishing. It could be also due to a decreasing trend in the fish carrying capacity of the municipal water

or particular fishing ground. Reduction in the fish carrying capacity due to fish habitat degradation will

result to corresponding reduction in the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) which can be theoretically

explained by the formula: MSY = r (instantaneous growth) multiplied by ¼ K (carrying capacity). Thismeans that even if law enforcement in effective in regulating fish catch, succeeding fish catch may not



increase if the fish habitat has been degraded heavily. This means that if the fish carrying capacity has

been reduced down to 50% of its pristine or original level, then the MSY that can be attained given the

effective regulatory measures will be only 50% of the original MSY. This could be one of the reasons

why the marine fish catch in Surigao del Sur showed drastic and significant decline in the first half of

1990s due to significant decrease in the fish carrying capacity of the municipal waters effected by the useof dynamite and cyanide in fishing, sedimentation from denuded forests and aquatic pollution emanating

from mining projects in the northern municipality of the province.

6. The present efforts to reverse the trend of overfishing and improve the fish carrying capacity of

the municipal water or fishing grounds are being undertaken by different major stakeholders through

CRM activities such as enforcement of fisheries and aquatic laws, MPA or fish sanctuary establishments,

protection of endangered species, mangrove reforestation and advocacy. CRM can only do so much in

improving the marine fish catch from the current levels to the desired MSY at which level income of the

municipal fishers will still be below the poverty line and the volume of fish will only satisfy a portion of

the total need of the people. In order to eradicate poverty in the coastal and fisherfolk communities, there

is a need to engage in livelihood diversification projects. Moreover, in order to ensure fish food security,

there is a need to engage in aquaculture (mariculture and aquasilviculture) projects which are

environment-friendly.

7. There are factors that could provide the answers to the questions: why the country is not in the

position to effectively manage and develop its fishery (so with agriculture) in order to ensure fish food

security and eradicate poverty in the agricultural and fishery sectors. Some of these are as follows:

a. The Philippines prioritizes the service sector while its neighboring countries like China, Indonesia

and Vietnam focus on both the agricultural and industrial sectors. In all these countries, including ours,

the majority of the population depends on agriculture as the main source of income. However, our

agricultural sector has the lowest percentage share of the total labor force at 34 as against China’s 39.5,

Indonesia’s 42.1 and Vietnam’s 51.8. In effect, the population poverty incidence in our country has

leveled off at 32.9 percent (2006), while those of our neighbors have plunged to much lower than 20

percent, our country’s target by 2010, under the Arroyo administration. (PH’s development path varies

from those of its neighbors,” Inquirer, 01/13/11).

b. It must be noted that, in the last two decades, there were programs and projects related to agriculture

and fisheries. These were undertaken by both the DA and NGOs in partnership with the sector’s

organizations as the main implementors. The projects were formulated based on political, social,

economic and environmental assessments conducted through participatory and non-participatory

research. But most of the projects that received enormous funding from the government, IMF-

World Bank, ADB and NGOs-partner funding institutions failed to significantly improve the lives of

the farmers and the fisherfolk. The below-par accomplishments of the projects were caused not by

the failure to identify the sector’s gaps and vulnerabilities but by the organizations’ deficit in key

success variables, namely: capacity to do the right activities; coherence in actions and activities based on the system-orientation principle; autonomy in decision-making; and adaptability to the

changing situation or environment. (Why agriculture projects in PH fail,” Inquirer, 05/30/11).

c. Giovanni Tapang, national chair of the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People

(Agham), stated in his letter (“PH no place for S&T workers,” Inquirer, 7/28/11) that the “emphasis on

the BPO industry only shows the current administration’s mindset as to science and technology. Instead

of locally producing tools and machinery for agriculture and other equally important aspects of our

economy, the administration toes the line of foreign big business and international lending institutions, as

its predecessors did—that is, set aside its dream of building strong domestic industries to serve foreign

monopolies with cheap English-speaking workforce.” Then he made a “call on all well-meaning

http://opinion.inquirer.net/5559/why-agriculture-projects-in-ph-fail












scientists, engineers and other S&T professionals to join Agham in its advocacies and call on the current

administration to put in place an industrial environment where we can practice our technical knowledge

and skills to help propel our country from the agrarian stage to the industrial stage.” With P-Noy’s

“Daang Matuwid,” life may be getting better for more and more Filipinos, but the country can never reach

that level of development that Agham is advocating. In fact, Prof. Randy David, Ateneo’s 2011 OzanamAwardee in the field of journalism for the depth of his reflections and constructive discourse on social and

political issues, stated in his July 28 column that P-Noy’s Sona “projects the presidency not only as a seatof political authority but also as a fountain of moral leadership.” David also pointed out that a year has

passed since P-Noy assumed the presidency, but still the Filipino people have yet to be informed of the

following: political leadership’s evaluation of the situation, its goals and priorities, overall strategy and

what it hopes to achieve at least in the coming year based on the 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan

which, however, does not show (1) how it differs from the previous development plans, (2) enough

daringness in its thrusts and (3) progressiveness that will do justice to the reformist or almost

revolutionary sentiments that support the President’s mandate. (What the Philippine dev’t plan lack,”

Inquirer, 08/01/11).

d. CRM, which addresses not only overfishing but also fish habitat degradation, is the main

responsibility of the local government units (LGUs). It includes such activities as fishery law

enforcement; fish sanctuary establishment and protection of endangered species; mangrove reforestation;and advocacy. But it is the partnership of the the LGU-NGO-community organization in CRM

implementation that ensures better results. As a result of CRM, there has been a gradual increase in the

volume of fish catch from municipal waters, which could lead to the maximum sustainable yield as

measured vis-à-vis the fish-carrying capacity of the managed water area. But it has been estimated thateven at its maximum sustainable yield, fisherfolk income from municipal fishing will still be considered

below the poverty line. It is for this reason that livelihood diversification has been incorporated in the

CRM projects that have been launched by the government (e.g., the community-based resource

management project or CBRMP under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the

Fisheries Resource Management Project or FRMP under the Department of Agriculture-BFAR and by the

NGOs (e.g., the community-based coastal resource management or CBCRM project). However, the key

to the successful management of livelihood projects is the presence of good volunteer leaders who take

the lead in CRM work and at the same time assume management roles in livelihood development. (Key toeffectively stop overfishing,” Inquirer, 09/16/11).

8. Given the above-mentioned factors, there is little that the government can do to insure fish food

security and significantly reduce poverty. Nevertheless, the fact that NGOs are mandated to provide

adequate assistance to fisherfolk organizations, the latter should be able to maximize the presence of

NGOs and undertake advocacy work to pressure the government from the national to the barangay level

of governance to put more emphasis on the subject matter. Those who will remain in the fishery sector to

continue as municipal fishers should be able to institutionalize fisherfolk organizations that will continue

doing CRM work and sustainably engaging in livelihood diversification projects. But experience shows

that institutionalization and sustainability of fisherfolk organizations and making the livelihood projectsfinancially viable will depend on the availability of good volunteer leaders. It is therefore the task of

partner NGOs during the inception stage and exit stage to give priority in identifying, capacitating, andmobilizing good volunteer leaders to take the lead in CRM work and assume management roles in

livelihood diversification projects. If this can not be materialized once the partner NGOs make its exit

from the community, then all the gains might just be jeopardized, a situation which actually happened to a

significant number of fisherfolk organizations in the country.

9. Good volunteer leaders are the backbone of strong fisherfolk organizations doing CRM and

http://opinion.inquirer.net/9049/what-the-philippine-dev%E2%80%99t-plan-lacks


http://opinion.inquirer.net/12125/key-to-effectively-stop-overfishing














livelihood diversification projects, particularly at a time when partner NGOs have already exited from the

community. One of the living examples of good volunteer leaders is Juanito Obispo, the President of

Songculan Guso Farmers Association (SOGUFA) in Dauis, Bohol. PROCESS-Bohol had provided

SOGUFA with the necessary assistance within a period of 3 years and upon its exit, by 2008, Obispo took

over the responsibility to lead and manage the organization to move forward along the path of CRM andlivelihood diversification (Milkfish floating cage culture project) for almost 4 years. Certain weaknesses

in managing the organization and livelihood project have been overcome quite well through his arrays of varying strength that encompass 25 different subjects describing the level of leadership and

management which are enumerated below.

Leadership vs. Management (ChangingMinds.org)

Coastal Zone/Municipal water(15kilometers)

Coastal resourceManagement (CRM)-communitybased-integrated

MaximumSustainableyield(MSY)

FishcarryingCapacity/

FishBiomass /Sizes

Specie diversity

-Enforcement of fisheries/aquaticlaws-Fishsanctuaryestablishment-Protectionof endangeredspecies-Mangrove reforestation-Advocacy

GovernmentLGUs/LGAs/BFAR/DENR Fisherfolk Organizations

BusinessGroups

Environmental

FisheriesLivelihood

LivelihoodDiversification

Economic

Political

Social

CRMleader

Livelihood Manager

Civil SocietyOrganizations

(Goodvolunteer leaders)

Participatory governance

Subject Leader Manager

Prepared on November 3, 2011

by: Edmundo Enderez

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