More than 2,000 registered fisherfolk and about 50 backyard fishpond operators in Odiongan, Romblon, could be affected by the increasingly hot weather and rising sea temperatures, according to the municipal agriculture office.
Ocean warming is disrupting fishing conditions: fish move away from shallow, warmer areas, forcing marginal fisherfolk to venture farther offshore in search of catch.
The situation could affect the livelihood of thousands of fishing families who depend on coastal waters for their daily income and food.
As an initial response, the Municipal Agriculture Office is preparing a market study for the possible establishment of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) under the government’s KALAHI (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan) program, according to a report from the Philippine Information Agency in Romblon.
FADs are structures placed at appropriate depths to serve as artificial shelter or aggregation areas where fish can gather.
The proposed project aims to help fisherfolk locate fishing grounds more efficiently by providing designated areas where fish are expected to congregate.
The municipal government is reviewing the project’s feasibility as part of measures to help local fisherfolk cope with changing marine conditions.
Besides municipal fisherfolk, backyard fishpond operators could be affected by changing sea conditions as their production may be sensitive to extreme heat and water temperature. changes
The situation highlights small-scale fisherfolk’s vulnerability to changes in marine conditions, particularly as rising temperatures alter the distribution and availability of fish in coastal waters.