Palawan stakeholders are pushing for measures to reduce marine mammal bycatch and fishing gear interactions as the province responds to the United States’ denial of the Philippines’ comparability finding under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
More than 60 fisherfolk, crab processors, local government officials, nongovernment organizations and fisheries managers attended a blue swimming crab stakeholders consultative meeting in Puerto Princesa City on July 22.
The denial threatens the continued export of Philippine blue swimming crab products to the United States, the country’s biggest market for the commodity, putting the livelihoods of coastal communities at risk.
Palawan Gov. Amy Roa Alvarez said the issue goes beyond trade and directly affects fisherfolk and their families.
“Ang bawat pagbagsak ng presyo, ang bawat binabawasang order, at ang bawat kawalan ng katiyakan ay nararamdaman muna ng ating mga mangingisda, mga crab pickers, maliliit na negosyante, and of course ang kanilang mga pamilya. Dito sa Palawan, hindi ito simpleng usapin ng export … usapin ito, sa amin, ng basic na kabuhayan,” Alvarez said in a message delivered by Provincial Administrator Jefrie Sahagun.
The meeting focused on the need to balance the protection of marine mammals with the continued operation of the blue swimming crab fishery, particularly in the Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and Seascape in northern Palawan.
The 200,115-hectare protected area is home to a population of Irrawaddy dolphins, whose numbers have declined from an estimated 77 in 2001 to 35, according to the presentation during the consultation.
Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines’ Dr. Teri Aquino said the interaction between the dolphins and the fishery is largely a competition for space, with both sharing the inner waters of Malampaya Sound.
The meeting also highlighted accurate catch reporting as a key component of fisheries management. WWF’s Joanne Binondo presented a “catch-to-cash” incentive program that rewards proper reporting and encourages compliance.
DA-BFAR 6 Director and Blue Swimming Crab National Technical Working Group Chairperson Remia A. Aparri said the government’s response would cover all major blue swimming crab-producing areas in the country.
“Nandito lang kami to provide support. Because hindi lang ito for Region 6, MIMAROPA, or just the five major BSC-producing regions. We will implement the marine mammal protection and bycatch reduction program sa buong bansa,” Aparri said.
The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Central Office also explained the technical requirements for restoring the Philippines’ comparability finding, while officials presented proposed monitoring tools and a fishery management action plan.
The consultation was hosted by DA-BFAR MIMAROPA Regional Director Roberto Abrera and formed part of a series of consultations in blue swimming crab-producing provinces.
The discussions are intended to help align local fishing practices with marine mammal protection and bycatch reduction requirements while sustaining the livelihoods of Palawan’s coastal communities.
