Batangas fishers seek livelihood support as 2-month fishing ban nears

OLONGAPO CITY—For small-scale fishers in Balayan Bay in Batangas, the annual fishing ban means two months away from their traditional fishing grounds.

The prohibition period will take place just as their families face mounting expenses for the Christmas season.

More than 15,000 fishers in nine coastal towns around the bay are expected to be affected by the closure from Dec. 1 to February next year, according to fishers group Pamalakaya.

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The group said the challenge is not only how fishers will cope with the loss of income, but also how they can help conserve marine resources, without being left to shoulder the economic burden of the fishing restrictions.

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Mary Jene Viana, president of Samahan ng mga Mangingisda ng Kababaihan sa Palikpikan (Samakapa), said fishers had endured the annual closure without sufficient alternative sources of livelihood or government assistance.

“Just as Christmas approaches, traditional fishing in our fishing grounds will be prohibited. This ban is imposed every year, and thousands of fishers in Balayan Bay bear its burden,” Viana said in Filipino.

Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap questioned whether the restrictions adequately addressed the pressures on fish stocks.

Hicap argued that small-scale fishers were being barred from traditional fishing while large commercial fishing operations continued to threaten marine resources.

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He also warned that a decline in local fish supply can prompt the government to allow more imports, potentially putting local fishers at a further disadvantage.

Hicap urged the government to prioritize support for local fishing communities and strengthen the domestic fishing industry, rather than rely on imported fish.

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“Fish imports should not be allowed because our fisheries have great potential to meet local demand if the government provides sufficient and meaningful support to local fishers,” he said.

Closed fishing seasons are authorized under Section 9 of Republic Act No. 8550, or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, to conserve fish stocks and protect marine resources.

The law also provides for government assistance to municipal fishers, including livelihood support, training and access to credit, underscoring the need to help fishing communities cope with income losses during fishing closures.

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The group, however, called on fishers in Batangas to oppose the planned closure, saying restrictions should not leave small-scale fishing communities without adequate support. /apl