In 2023, I met and spoke before Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) Philippines, a research and knowledge-sharing network composed of 24 higher education institutions, during their first national symposium on small-scale fisheries held at UP Visayas.
TBTI Philippines serves as the National Consortium for Small-Scale Fisheries Research and Development, bringing together higher education institutions (HEIs) that aim to make small-scale fisheries visible, viable and sustainable.
TBTI Philippines released a book entitled ‘Portrait of Small-Scale Fishers in the Philippines,’ putting together 78 stories that describe the everyday lives of fishers – their contributions, struggles and hopes.
The stories reveal the challenges facing small-scale fishers: low income, limited investment and lack of assistance during the closed fishing season. They also struggle against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing that takes away their rightful catch and threatens their source of living.
The book clearly shows that small-scale fishers (SSF) may be small individually but are large collectively. The country’s 1.6 million small-scale fishers are the largest group in the fishing sector and account for one-fifth of the total fish catch. They employ millions of processors, traders and other workers in the fisheries value chain. Their catch remains the most affordable source of protein for 28.3 million Filipino households.
SSF work close to shore using simple passive gear. They help protect marine life and the coastal ecosystem. Compared to the country’s 4,800 registered commercial fishers, they have a smaller environmental footprint for nearly the same catch. Yet, despite their big contribution to food, livelihood and local economies, small-scale fishers remain among the poorest in the country.
This fact is clear: small-fishers are too big to ignore.
Supporting SSF
Small-scale fishers need our protection and support. Safeguarding the municipal waters, which serve as their main fishing ground, means protecting the fish, the fishers and the millions of Filipinos who rely on them for food and livelihood.
We need to support and protect them because to secure our food, we must first secure our small-scale fishers.
The academe, led by the University of the Philippines, SUCs with strong fisheries programs and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries, can make a big difference.
UP’s role in advancing small-scale fisheries
As the national university, UP must take the lead by establishing a Center for Small-Scale Fisheries, ideally hosted at UP Visayas, which already leads TBTI Philippines.
This center can focus on research and innovation to co-create solutions with fishers, propose better policies, develop low-cost technologies and test climate-resilient fishing models. UP Visayas can also integrate small-scale fisheries into its academic curriculum, helping students understand the human and ecological dimensions of the sector.
Unfortunately, while UP Visayas was established as the flagship campus of the UP system for fisheries, it has given more attention to other degree programs over the past decade. It is time to correct this anomaly.
UP Visayas must expand its public service programs to offer training on sustainable fishing, marine protected areas, fish handling and safety and cooperative management. As required in the UP Charter, it should provide policy advice to local and national governments, advocate for fishers’ rights and promote co-management of fishing grounds with fishers’ associations.
But UP Visayas cannot do it alone. It must provide leadership in bringing together state universities and colleges (SUCs) with strong marine and inland fisheries programs like MSU Tawi-Tawi, MSU Naawan, Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology, CLSU, Zamboanga State College of Marine Science and Technology, Palawan State University, Western Philippines State University and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University.
Collectively, these SUCs can empower local communities by helping organize fisher cooperatives and strengthening local leadership in fisheries management. They can share expertise, resources and network locally and internationally to develop knowledge products and strategically focus their extension programs for small-scale fishers.
DA-BFAR’s role
The Department of Agriculture, through BFAR, should be the main protector and partner of small-scale fishers. It must ensure that policies and programs follow the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines), which promote the rights, livelihood and participation of small-scale fishers.
BFAR must defend the rights of small-scale fishers to municipal waters and act against illegal and commercial encroachment. The Fisheries Code already grants SSF preferential access to municipal waters and requires support in technology, research and livelihood.
BFAR should continue to implement social protection programs such as disaster assistance, alternative livelihood, insurance and access to credit and markets. The National Plan of Action for the SSF Guidelines (2024) must be fully implemented with support from national and local governments.
Ironically, DA Secretary Tiu Laurel’s background is in fisheries development, yet his department has not given SSF the proper support.
Feeding those who feed us
Fishers rise before dawn and face rough seas so that we have fish to eat. Yet, they are among the poorest, most food-insecure and least appreciated.
Every fish on our plate carries the story of a small-scale fisher’s labor, a family’s hope and a community’s resilience. Without the small-scale fishers, our coasts will be silent and our 967 coastal communities will lose their heart.
Investing in small-scale fishers means investing in the country’s food security. When fishers thrive, the whole nation benefits. There is no greater honor than ensuring the well-being of those who feed us.